Raw Veganism and Bodybuilding

[MarsAttacks]

Hey Guys.... I hope there's someone on here that can help me out with this. I've been looking into raw veganism. From what I understand it is comprised of eating raw veggies, fruits, sprouted (rather than cooked) grains and legumes and soaked raw nuts/seeds. This seems like a very beneficial way of eating for a vegan bodybuilder. Except I wouldn't really know what to make! I guess i would end up eating a lot of fresh salads (both leafy green and sprouts).

 

Does anybody have any good links or advice? Do you feel it would be suitable for a vegan bodybuilder? I typically eat a lot of "cooked" quinoa, buckwheat and lentils. I am very curious to try these raw and sprouted.

 

thanks

[xjohanx]

IMO raw food sucks but if you use the search function on this forum you will find plenty of info. VBB used to have a subforum dedicated to the pseud..(I'm sorry) raw food lifestyle.

[pazios2002]

"Lean and Green" from this forum competed I think Raw for a contest he and robert and Jimi did. You might want to ask him.

[MarsAttacks]

thanks.... Johan... just wondering, why to you think it sucks? Don't worry I'm no Raw Ambassador or anything.

[Octopussoir]

thanks.... Johan... just wondering, why to you think it sucks? Don't worry I'm no Raw Ambassador or anything.

 

 

Dont look at raw dishes as just plain veggies and fruits. Type raw dishes or raw foods on youtube and watch people make awesome tasting meals that are raw.

 

And yes Giacomo (Lean & Green) did compete last year going totally raw.

 

P.S. Sun Warrior protein powder from http://www.veganproteins.comis raw!!!

[MarsAttacks]

Can anybody answer this?

 

Does raw/sprouted QUINOA (or any other legume or grain) contain more protein then cooked quinoa?

[Zack]

Can anybody answer this?

 

Does raw/sprouted QUINOA (or any other legume or grain) contain more protein then cooked quinoa?

 

Why would it?

[lobsteriffic]

Actually I had a similar question about sprouted legumes. I read on some page that sprouted chickpeas have less calories and more nutrients than non-sprouted. However it was just a random guy on a blog, so I have no idea if that is true or not. I am having trouble finding actual facts about the nutritional profile of sprouted legumes. I suppose it would depend on the sprout length. But I was just curious as to how the calories would compare. On days when I count calories I'm never sure how to count any sprouted legumes I put in my salad.

[Fallen_Horse]

They are a higher percent protein. I suppose it's because sprouting increases the bioavailability of the amino acids?

 

For navy and soybeans the % protein goes +2

For lentils it's +7

For mung beans its +5

 

Again I don't know why, just checked it out on nutritiondata.com

[xjohanx]

The white stuff that floats around on the water when you boil your own beans is partly protein and that's lost so yeah the protein content might go down slightly.

 

I suppose it's because sprouting increases the bioavailability of the amino acids?

 

That's not relevant to the energy %. For example gelatine that has zero bioavailability still has 350 calories per 100 gram and it's all from protein.

[MarsAttacks]

I've always wondered how many nutrients are actually being lost when pressure cooking beans and such. I am going to start experimenting by sprouting some lentils, quinoa and buckwheat.

[Fallen_Horse]

The white stuff that floats around on the water when you boil your own beans is partly protein and that's lost so yeah the protein content might go down slightly.

Thanks for the FYI. I suppose the percentages change because more protein is 'boiled off' than carbs or fat...

[xjohanx]

I've always wondered how many nutrients are actually being lost when pressure cooking beans and such. I am going to start experimenting by sprouting some lentils, quinoa and buckwheat.

 

Not many actually. As long as the beans are intact there's no worries, they are still very nutrient rich.

[shawnb222]

I've been following a low-fat raw vegan diet with no supplements for about 3 weeks - 1 month now, and I have been noticing great improvements in my overall physical energy. I find that I need much less sleep also. Not only has my physical energy increased but I also noticed improvements in my mental clarity.

 

My diet is based on fresh organic fruits, tender greens, and sweetless fruits such as cucumber and tomato. No longer consuming grains, nuts, seeds, or legumes, and I have noticed even greater improvements. I just eat lots of delicious fruits and vegetables.

 

I haven't lost any strength whatsoever, I have alot more energy, and I haven't felt as healthy like this in my life.

 

Check out 30bananasaday.com. It is a great website for people looking to transition to a low-fat raw vegan diet.

[ferral-cat]

No longer consuming grains, nuts, seeds, or legumes,

 

Why would you omit these items in the raw form? I have read the book 80/10/10 from Doug Graham and he never said to omit these foods 100%

[Tweedle]

I just want to say that I just came off of a high raw diet of 4 or 5 months a couple weeks ago.

 

Someone mentioned that they had an increase in energy being raw for a month... and I just want to give a word of warning that though this might be different for others, but I had the same increase in energy, too, for maybe the first 2, possibly even into the 3 month. But after that, my energy started decreasing drastically...so I kept eating more, upping proteins (nuts, etc), and eating more sprouted grains, raw granola... nothing helped. I started to ALWAYS feel hungry, got wicked cravings, and found myself binging on fruit because I couldn't seem to suppress the hunger. The result was that I was often bloated, lethargic, and I began to feel more mentally cloudy as time went on.

 

Now, I don't want to sound like I'm knocking on the raw lifestyle because I believe that it can be incredibly beneficial when done for some time (and then switching back) as means to cleanse and what not... or if you want to go about 70-80% raw, I'd say might be the better bet. But going 100% for extended periods of time are a bit more difficult.

 

I might have had something wrong... I might have been missing something in my diet that I wasn't aware of, or maybe my body is just different from others... but I definitely couldn't keep doing it, especially while training.

 

Also, when I first went raw I had an injured ankle and didn't do much exercise... it seemed that once I started getting back into exercise and getting back on a regular program, I started to lose tons more energy.

 

And aside from health and training, I should caution that it gets damn expensive, especially for someone in training who is going to need to eat a lot more to keep themselves running. It takes a whole lot of raw food to get your daily values of calories, vitamins, protein, etc. in a day while training... I was spending probably double what I do now on a more integrated vegan diet. I still try to eat the majority of my foods raw...raw veggies, fruits, etc. But, even incorporating a few non-raw carbs (I love Ezekiel sprouted bread) will help fill you up and give you a more sustained energy where you won't have to be binging on so much raw food and paying out the you know what for it

[Tweedle]

No longer consuming grains, nuts, seeds, or legumes,

 

Why would you omit these items in the raw form? I have read the book 80/10/10 from Doug Graham and he never said to omit these foods 100%

 

yeah... those are really really important to have on a high raw diet... fruits and vegetables alone are not going to provide you with what you need...

[strawberryriddick]

That's not relevant to the energy %. For example gelatine that has zero bioavailability still has 350 calories per 100 gram and it's all from protein.

Then I guess the question I'm left with is: if the body doesn't absorb it (zero bioavailability), then do you count those calories toward your caloric intake that day? For example, as a carbohydrate, fiber comes with a calorie count of 4 calories per gram of fiber. Because you don't absorb it, those calories still exist but didn't they otherwise just go unabsorbed?

[thedeepeningcrisis]

I've been eating a low-fat raw vegan diet off and on for over a year now, and 100% since Jan 1st, and I totally agree with the comments on high energy levels and mental clarity. I've also noticed that my recovery time has also dropped as well, compared to what it was for similar workloads while eating a cooked vegan diet.

 

The only time I've been able to tell a significant drop in energy levels is when I don't get enough calories from fruit / eat enough dark, leafy greens for nutrients. The times I've tried eating more "gourmet" raw food, with lots of overt fats (nuts, seeds, too much avocado, coconut meat, etc) have definitely provided me with lower energy levels.

 

You can definitely thrive on such a diet, as proven by athletes such as Doug Graham, Harley Johnstone, Michael Arnstein, Charlie Abel and others. I haven't been doing it as long as they have, but I'm very satisfied with the results so far. My best advice to anybody with questions would be to read "The 80/10/10 Diet" by Doug Graham and "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell. Campbell also does a really awesome online plant-based nutrition course.

[Tweedle]

coming back about a month later, I'm *trying* to do this raw thing again. Must. get. it. RIGHT! I'm going to take "thedeepeningcrisis"'s advice on the calories from fruit, nutrition from leafy greens idea. you may have something there. I think I might have been weighing myself down with too much overt fats. I get some intense cravings for "heavy" food and I think I may have been over-indulging in raw cashews and avocado especially.

 

Another thing that concerns me however...and I know a lot of people here and on other vegan websites don't seem to nervous about it... is B12. I know a lot of raw foodists will still eat nutritional yeast and such to get some B vitamins, but I can't handle a whole lot nutritional yeast in raw food. (in cooked vegan food, it's a little different...) So, I'm considering getting a b-12 supplement (not raw, and especially cause those raw supplements are SO expensive and I am not made of money haha)

 

I'm still not sure what went wrong. I was doing really well on the raw diet UNTIL I started training. Then I just started falling apart. Maybe I just wasn't eating enough? I don't think I really upped the amount of anything that I ate from when I wasn't training to when I started to.

 

I know a lot of rawists will eat POUNDS of fruit in a day, and my stomach simply can't handle that much food.

 

I want this to work because I believe in the raw lifestyle, yet I really want to be able to keep training without my health plummeting. Ideas?????

 

edit to say: the first couple months that I was raw I wasn't doing ANY type of exercise because of a foot injury/cold weather/lack of gym membership...so as soon as I got that gym membership, is when the raw diet started having "ill" effects on me.

[thedeepeningcrisis]

Tweedle - My best suggestion for you is to pick up a copy of The 80/10/10 diet. That'll answer a whole bunch of your questions on eating raw. I learned most of what I know from reading 80/10/10 and a couple of his other books, as well as The China Study. Graham also has a book called Nutrition and Athletic Performance that is pretty solid too. In the mean time, you can check out the FAQ on his site and find a good deal of the stuff out. Here's the link: http://foodnsport.com/faq.html

 

On the note of eating pounds of fruit a day, I know exactly what you're talking about. When I first went raw, I was trying and trying and trying my hardest to eat hella produce, but my stomach just couldn't take it easier. I would eat til my stomach was full, but since water-rich fruit isn't as calorie dense as cooked (dehydrated) foods, my stomach was only used to smaller portions. It takes a little while to expand your stomach to accommodate larger quantities of fruit, but it's so worth it!

 

The first time I ever flirted with raw foods, back in...06(?), I wasn't eating enough calories. I had all kinds of mental clarity, but felt like a zombie, energy wise. Give higher fruit intake a try and see how that treats you. PM me and I can give you recipe ideas, etc, if you want.

[TripleH]

"The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell. Campbell also does a really awesome online plant-based nutrition course.

 

I'm half way through that book - it is brilliant... Do you have a link for his course?

 

Update: yikes! over $1000 for the course... e-Cornell ... a little out of my price range

Edited April 27, 2010 by TripleH

[Tweedle]

Well I'm working my way into the 80/10/10 way of raw. The more I read about it, the more I realize what I was doing wrong when I was raw last time. Of course it's only been a few days since I've started 80/10/10--but, I can already feel a huge difference even from being just a normal "rawist" who tends to eat lots of nuts and such... I feel SO much more energetic, and noticed a HUUUGE difference when I was lifting today. It was just so much easier!

 

Course I have some kinks to work out yet. Coffee, birth control. I'm going to Disney World in less than two weeks and am a little curious about what my food situation is going to be like... I hear they've got lots of fruit stands and such around the parks or whatever, but I guess we'll see. Should be interesting! hehe

 

I'm totally digging on the idea of the fact that being primates, fruit makes the most sense for us to get most of our calories from... and I'm starting to understand my food cravings that I have been struggling with and all that so much more. Even just cutting out salt and what not for a few days, I'm feeling less inclined to eat salty, sweet, and fatty foods.

 

It's going to be a long journey to get to where I want to be, and I know that, but, I have so many goals I think eventually I want to eat mainly foods that make the most "sense" to eat... meaning, foods that would be easiest to eat straight from nature. For example, a pineapple isn't as easy to eat as an apple...

 

There's something about eating with just my hands and mouth, I think, that make me feel more in tune with my body and my environment.

 

ANYHOW... I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for this working with weight lifting Just gotta get my body used to eating a little more since it's still struggling to eat the volume of fruits it needs to get the calorie requirements.

 

thanks everyone! xoxo

 

ETA: regarding the mention of mental clarity as well... definitely feeling that already. uhh is it just me, or have those of you that have tried or on a raw diet noticed heightened senses? my sense of smell and hearing have definitely been greater... and I don't know if it's related, or just a weird little coincidence?

[thedeepeningcrisis]

Well I'm working my way into the 80/10/10 way of raw. The more I read about it, the more I realize what I was doing wrong when I was raw last time. Of course it's only been a few days since I've started 80/10/10--but, I can already feel a huge difference even from being just a normal "rawist" who tends to eat lots of nuts and such... I feel SO much more energetic, and noticed a HUUUGE difference when I was lifting today. It was just so much easier!

 

Course I have some kinks to work out yet. Coffee, birth control. I'm going to Disney World in less than two weeks and am a little curious about what my food situation is going to be like... I hear they've got lots of fruit stands and such around the parks or whatever, but I guess we'll see. Should be interesting! hehe

 

I'm totally digging on the idea of the fact that being primates, fruit makes the most sense for us to get most of our calories from... and I'm starting to understand my food cravings that I have been struggling with and all that so much more. Even just cutting out salt and what not for a few days, I'm feeling less inclined to eat salty, sweet, and fatty foods.

 

It's going to be a long journey to get to where I want to be, and I know that, but, I have so many goals I think eventually I want to eat mainly foods that make the most "sense" to eat... meaning, foods that would be easiest to eat straight from nature. For example, a pineapple isn't as easy to eat as an apple...

 

There's something about eating with just my hands and mouth, I think, that make me feel more in tune with my body and my environment.

 

ANYHOW... I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for this working with weight lifting Just gotta get my body used to eating a little more since it's still struggling to eat the volume of fruits it needs to get the calorie requirements.

 

thanks everyone! xoxo

 

ETA: regarding the mention of mental clarity as well... definitely feeling that already. uhh is it just me, or have those of you that have tried or on a raw diet noticed heightened senses? my sense of smell and hearing have definitely been greater... and I don't know if it's related, or just a weird little coincidence?

 

Glad you're having such a great time with it already! I've definitely noticed sharper, heightened senses as well. One tip I might offer for your trip to Disney: take dried fruits, maybe bananas, mangoes, whatever, and just soak them in your water bottle to rehydrate them. I dunno what their policy is on bringing outside food in though. Dried fruit would also be a lot easier to sneak in, if that's what it comes down to.

[Tweedle]

Well I'm working my way into the 80/10/10 way of raw. The more I read about it, the more I realize what I was doing wrong when I was raw last time. Of course it's only been a few days since I've started 80/10/10--but, I can already feel a huge difference even from being just a normal "rawist" who tends to eat lots of nuts and such... I feel SO much more energetic, and noticed a HUUUGE difference when I was lifting today. It was just so much easier!

 

Course I have some kinks to work out yet. Coffee, birth control. I'm going to Disney World in less than two weeks and am a little curious about what my food situation is going to be like... I hear they've got lots of fruit stands and such around the parks or whatever, but I guess we'll see. Should be interesting! hehe

 

I'm totally digging on the idea of the fact that being primates, fruit makes the most sense for us to get most of our calories from... and I'm starting to understand my food cravings that I have been struggling with and all that so much more. Even just cutting out salt and what not for a few days, I'm feeling less inclined to eat salty, sweet, and fatty foods.

 

It's going to be a long journey to get to where I want to be, and I know that, but, I have so many goals I think eventually I want to eat mainly foods that make the most "sense" to eat... meaning, foods that would be easiest to eat straight from nature. For example, a pineapple isn't as easy to eat as an apple...

 

There's something about eating with just my hands and mouth, I think, that make me feel more in tune with my body and my environment.

 

ANYHOW... I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for this working with weight lifting Just gotta get my body used to eating a little more since it's still struggling to eat the volume of fruits it needs to get the calorie requirements.

 

thanks everyone! xoxo

 

ETA: regarding the mention of mental clarity as well... definitely feeling that already. uhh is it just me, or have those of you that have tried or on a raw diet noticed heightened senses? my sense of smell and hearing have definitely been greater... and I don't know if it's related, or just a weird little coincidence?

 

Glad you're having such a great time with it already! I've definitely noticed sharper, heightened senses as well. One tip I might offer for your trip to Disney: take dried fruits, maybe bananas, mangoes, whatever, and just soak them in your water bottle to rehydrate them. I dunno what their policy is on bringing outside food in though. Dried fruit would also be a lot easier to sneak in, if that's what it comes down to.

 

They are okay with you bringing food in the park, I know that much. But I've done my research and found produce stands in just about every park and in our resort's cafeteria, so I'll probably just stock up tons of bananas and such in the cafeteria and bring them along wherever we go

 

I mean... it's Florida they should at least have oranges