raw, then giving up raw?

[dontxhide]

Raw has been a constant struggle for me. I went raw at the start of spring last summer, and only stopped during the winter. Now its spring again, and Ive been trying to stay raw. The weekends kill me.

 

Well, not really the weekends. But Soups kill me. Sometimes I crave heavy heavy foods, and lentil soup hits the spot each time.

 

So I have a question for the all the raw experts out there.

 

I normally go raw during the spring because it helps me deal with spring time allergies. What happens if I eat soup like one or twice a week along with that? Will that hurt my chances of not having allergies this spring, or help? Have proof?

[Zack]

If you're binging on "heavy food" you need calories.

 

 

eat.

[dontxhide]

I eat 4000 calories a day.

 

So I eat enough food believe me. I know how much food my body needs, and I control how much it gets. So please don't tell me something that I already know how to do, which is eat.

 

That sounded mean. And I dont mean to be mean. But a lot of times on this website I feel information is given out of hand, when someone doesnt know who the person is, or what type of body frame they have, what type of diet they are on, how heavy or skinny they are, or anything.

 

I could be 200 pounds overweight (im not) and you just told me to eat more food, which would / could make me heavier than I already was. Maybe I was all excited about going on a diet to loose this weight, a raw diet that a vegan trainer helped me with, and now someone is telling me to eat more than what a licensed practitioner suggested?

 

I know this is a forum, and information is usually given freely and kindly, which I probably have done my fair share of, but I would never tell anyone to eat more food if I didnt know what they were trying to accomplish, or if they were trying to gain or loose weight.

 

Ugh. Im just sounding more and more like an asshole. Ill stop now.

 

The question I had is whether raw people, who have done much more research than me, can have problems with from scratch, vegetable and bean soups.

Edited April 4, 2008 by dontxhide

[Guest]

I was raw for a summer outside of the once a month trip to a veg cafe...I didn't experience any problems from eating cooked food. I'd be raw again if it weren't for my mom's yummy cooking....thing is I wouldn't be raw in the Mid-Atlantic during the winter...its a summer thing for me.

[dontxhide]

Same here. Utah is damn cold in the winter, thats why I usually give up the raw foods.

 

I just remember reading somewhere (I found that completely raw books are pretty one sided) that even eating cooked soup would somehow reverse the affects of detox that raw makes your body go through. To me it doesnt make sense, and Im cooking some soup right now, the first cooked food I will have in about 2 weeks.

 

But Im wondering what other raw people thought of this. Thanks Potter

[DV]

I don't believe that you will find anyone with "proof" that eating cooked foods reverse the effects of "detox." As for raw food experts, I'm not sure what one is and I'm sure there are no professionals or experts who post here from the raw community.

 

If you want to listen to experts who eat cooked and raw vegan foods (all the other vegans) then you will find that they all encourage a mix of cooked and raw foods.

 

If cooked foods are toxic then I'll take them - I feel great! There is no way I could give up soups, especially since they're one of my favorite foods to cook.

 

It's your choice whether or not you want to remove cooked foods from your diet. The vast majority of humanity (vegan or not) have eaten cooked foods for thousands of years - and many have enjoyed fantastic health, energy and longevity on a diet that includes cooked foods.

[dontxhide]

Thanks DV.

 

I think I should say raw food guru's. That sounds more like it. ~shrugs~

[Im Your Man]

For allergies, I can't help you, I don't have any allergies which I know of. But try eating lentil soup or other stuff if you want some, just once week and see what happens. I'd say to avoid any allergies, eat only what's best for your body and avoid the rest. Or follow what you feel, but not the habits.

 

I'm like veganpotter, in summer I like to eat fruits all day long and nothing else, maybe some salads, greens. If I want calories I just eat seeds and nuts. When it's 100 farheneit outside, I don't wanna cook anything or eat something warm. And also during summer I'm more into endurance, So I feel I need more sugar than protein.

But during winter, that's a complete different story.

Edited April 4, 2008 by I'm Your Man

[Lean and Green]

I would say that there is certainly propaganda and a 'religion' type feel among the movement and so you have to take everything you hear into consideration and go with what you believe is valid.

 

I have jumped from being raw for months at a time and then went back in the past and I had no issues whatsoever. I wouldn't freak out about it. I would worry more about undereating for an extended period of time and then out of nowhere starting to just gorge on food constantly. That, for me, was an issue but that's a whole other story in itself. But yea, that's more of a shock to your body than switching from raw back to cooked and the only thing i'd be concerned about. I know plenty of people who are raw foodists and every once in awhile they lose it and give in to some sort of an urge, like terra chips and they are fine. Guilty but ok.

 

I find it great that raw foods help you with your allergies. As for myself, I had the worst seasonal allergies imaginable and once I gave up all dairy products, they cleared up within one week and never came back again. Going raw did not intensify that for me; the situation was already gone from going vegan. But hey if it helps you, go for it when necessary!

[Couture547]

Yeah that's more than likely true about Raw food. There's alot of scam artsist that are making alot of money on the movement. That said Raw Foods are the healthiest Foods to eat and wether your eatting a Vegan diet, or a heavy meat eatting diet every needs a good percent of raw veggies

a year and a half ago i started eatting all raw and went 4 months 100 percent then went off and was eatting a bunch of junk and different feel any difference. I've been all raw for the last 5 months and if i went off more than likely i wouldn't notice, but i figure i have to eat so i might as well put the best food possible in me and see what difference that makes years from now

[andesuma]

I have been raw vegan (or beegan now, if you will..hah), for 5 years

this coming November. I also come from a family of

Nutritionists, Nurses, PhD's/Doctors, etc. (medical professionals), so it's

the environment in which I was raised.

 

(I just mention that so you know from where my advice comes. )

 

 

 

If eating some soup, steamed veggies, etc. feels good to your body,

then by all means, do it!!

From my experience(personal as well as research and observational)

I strongly feel the cravings for "heavy" foods come from two things:

1: Not consuming enough greens, this ALWAYS got rid of my cravings.

2: Detox will make you crave heavy foods to slow the detox process down.

 

 

There is no harm in being "as raw as you want to be".

And you will certainly be a healthier, HAPPIER, human being

eating primarily raw food thru out the day, and then say having

some soup, veggies and a salad for dinner.

Then just eating all processed cooked foods.

 

 

 

 

 

Don't be hard on yourself with it being "all or nothing".

 

 

I, personally, choose to(feel I have to) remain all raw, because

I feel AMAZING eating this way; and I couldn't imagine eating

any other way. It feels very normal and natural to my body.

 

However that is not for everyone.

And I do usually tweak my diet a bit during the colder months.

(consuming more greens, more yang foods etc.)

 

 

My recommendations for you:

 

1: Maybe check out some raw soup recipes? then you could alter

back and forth cooked soup and raw soups. You can have them slightly

warmed, and spicy if you like.

 

2: Consume a BIG salad before each cooked meal you eat.

Not only does it help aid digestion and flourishes your inner world

with lovely enzymes, but it also could help correct your cravings

for dense foods by supplying your body with more greens

 

 

 

 

I hope that information helps you!

 

~~~

 

Oh also, since you're in SLC, have you been to

Sage's Cafe raw food nights?? They have one every month.

Check it out: www.sagescafe.com

 

Maybe you could meet some more rawies and exchange ideas and recipes?

Also, Omar's Living Cuisine is

THE most divine raw food restaurant I have ever been to in my life.

http://www.omarslivingcuisine.com/

[Couture547]

Good advice. I seem to have that same all or nothing mentality. I'd go from eatting the best diet to the worse diet and then back and forth which is not a good way to be. Now i just eat all good and if i did eat something bad i'd just get back on. Just eat all raw and if you feel like eatting something cooked try to eat something clean and not junk. going off the diet here and there won't hurt. It's what you do in the long run that makes the difference.

[flanders77]

The vast majority of humanity (vegan or not) have eaten cooked foods for thousands of years - and many have enjoyed fantastic health, energy and longevity on a diet that includes cooked foods.

I strongly disagree with that statement, as you might have expected.

 

IMO the vast majority of humans suffers from livng an unhealthy lifestyle (including diet), could have a lot more energy and live longer and especially healthier on a (high) raw diet.

 

@dontxhide: experience with the raw food you eat. If you crave heavy foods, focus on nuts, seeds and fatty fruits. I usually eat some partly cooked dinners per week and try to drown the cooked foods in salad and vegetables.

But I am also very aware of the fact that cooked food has an addictive character. So if you want to overcome this "addiction" you only have one way to go. IMO DVs "If cooked foods are toxic then I'll take them - I feel great! There is no way I could give up soups, especially since they're one of my favorite foods to cook." reflects what I mean

[Im Your Man]

I have been raw vegan (or beegan now, if you will..hah), for 5 years

 

(...)

 

 

Don't be hard on yourself with it being "all or nothing".

 

 

 

 

Lol, "beegan", did you just invent it ? I like that word.

 

I thought I was alone with that "all or nothing" "problem", I'm happy to find I'm not. Either I eat too much, or not enough, or really healthy for days, then if I take just one bite of processed food I can't stop. So I must not buy any. But I guess it comes from addiction, addiction to what's good for your body, addiction to what's bad. And too much guilt when eating bad, which start a selfharm/autodestructive routine. So we must not feel guilty when we go on wrong tracks for a moment, but being proud to know it's not making ourself any good or being happier, and enjoy when we come back to what's best for us.

 

I agree on flanders77 comments about DV's post. If human have been eating cooked food for thousand of years, that don't mean we should repeat the same mistakes, otherwise we should continue eating meat and animal products for it's been like that for thousands of years also. And human should continue killing eachothers because there's murders and wars since begining of time, etc... Of course I'm extrapolating a bit but what I mean is that the way things are or have been is not necessarily the best.

[DV]

I won't comment on this thread again. This has led to too many vegan vs. all-raw vegan debates in the past. I think we can all agree that there is nothing positive to be had in it.

 

Dontxhide, I hope you got the answers you were looking for!

[dontxhide]

Ya it helped.

 

I had the soup last night anyways, and feel a slight bit mucousy this morning, but other than that Im fine. The mucous could also be from the inscence I have started burning like a mad man. So who knows.

 

Thanks for all your answers. My allergies during spring are sometimes bad enough that I have to leave work.

 

So we shall see what happens!

[dontxhide]

 

Oh also, since you're in SLC, have you been to

Sage's Cafe raw food nights?? They have one every month.

Check it out: www.sagescafe.com

 

Maybe you could meet some more rawies and exchange ideas and recipes?

Also, Omar's Living Cuisine is

THE most divine raw food restaurant I have ever been to in my life.

http://www.omarslivingcuisine.com/

 

I dont like Sages. I went to the raw night once, and its a 5 serving dish (supposedtly) for like 40 bones, one person. Way too much without the amount of food to back it up.

 

Omars on the other hand I visit once week. Their food is absolutely amazing, but still on the rather expensive side. There raw burrito and nutburger makes me go crazy.

[Couture547]

The closer you eat to organic unprocessed foods the better. Cooking a food is processing the food therefore the mojority of peoples diet should be fresh fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts

[Zack]

The closer you eat to organic unprocessed foods the better. Cooking a food is processing the food therefore the mojority of peoples diet should be fresh fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts

 

Nuts should not be part of a raw food diet because you have to use a TOOL to crack the nutz. Just like you have to use a TOOL to cook food.

[Im Your Man]

The closer you eat to organic unprocessed foods the better. Cooking a food is processing the food therefore the mojority of peoples diet should be fresh fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts

 

Nuts should not be part of a raw food diet because you have to use a TOOL to crack the nutz. Just like you have to use a TOOL to cook food.

 

Lol are you serious ?? I break them with my hands... but then my hands become tools... so the samething with teeth and gastric liquids they're tools so everything is processed.

[xveganjoshx]

But a lot of times on this website I feel information is given out of hand, when someone doesnt know who the person is, or what type of body frame they have, what type of diet they are on, how heavy or skinny they are, or anything.

 

So why are you asking for advice? Just kidding.

[xveganjoshx]

I don't believe that you will find anyone with "proof" that eating cooked foods reverse the effects of "detox."

I actually proved this over the summer. I cant explain how, but it just feels right. I called it a "retox" and I'm working on patenting the idea so that when I become a raw guru I can use it to scare people to exclusively eat uncooked vegetables.