Answering reader questions is one of my favorite things about this job, but sometimes I have to do the asking. I am currently reading The Beauty Detox Solution by celeb nutritionist Kimberly Snyder. In the book Kimberly lays down the deets on a mostly raw food diet that she feels uses the least amount of energy to digest resulting in better health, more energy, and a more beautiful and youthful appearance.
While there are certain aspects of the plan that I won’t do (colonics!), I have been eating a lot more raw fruits and veg, avoiding meat and using her food pairings suggestions. I am not yet finished reading the book , but the main idea is to eat mainly raw fruits and veg throughout the day, and save the heavier stuff for your evening meal. This way you give your body all night to process these foods. It is way more in-depth than I make it sound here, with the order in which you eat foods and what types of foods you eat being highly important. I will do a total book review once I have finished reading.
So, I do feel much lighter and have more energy when eating this way. My main issue is that you have to eat so much when eating raw foods. Fruits and veggies may fill you up, but they do not last as long and I find myself needing more every couple of hours. Not the most convenient lifestyle.
Here is my question to you:
Do you eat a raw food diet, and if so, do you eat this way all of the time? Some of the time? Any tips, tricks or advice you’d like to share would be appreciated!
[Woman with vegetables image via Shutterstock]
HI, I ate a strictly 100% raw food diet for 3 years and it was amazing! My husband and I did it together so we had each others support because at times in can be difficult socially and especially when traveling for work. I really did get tired of having to explain myself to ignorant people, mostly telling me that I wasn’t getting enough protein. Eventually we started to eat more cooked vegetables and eventually i started to eat eggs and goat cheese. We then went back to Vegan, all this time keeping a lot of raw foods in out diet, lots of green juices, green smoothies and salads and fruits. Last year my body started to crave meat after not having it for 7 years and so eventually I experimented with grass fed local meats and my body responded really well. My husband is still vegan and I eat mostly vegan with lots of raw incorporated (more so in summer) except for when my body asks for some meat or yoghurt and the very occasional bit of fresh mozzarella cheese. The biggest lesson for me was learning to not follow what someone was telling me was the best thing for my body but figuring it out for myself, without the guilt of course!
Hi Sarah, Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject, and WOW! three years is a long time to eat raw. Congratulations:) I totally agree with you on figuring out what works for yourself. Even though I have not completely switched over to the BDS eating plan, I can already see that there are things that will, and will not, work for me.
Hi Liz
I loved reading your experience with the raw lifestyle so far. I understand your concern about not feeling full for very long. How long have you been eating your new diet for? It might actually take a while for your body to transition to the new ‘lighter’ food.
There is also the subject of conditioning. Our bodies are mentally conditioned to feel full after a certain number of chews or swallows. So you might be quitting eating before you are really full.
(Our tummy tells us we’re full when we have one of: enough calories, enough volume, OR the right number of swallows).
To get 2000 calories (assuming thats how many you want to get) you have to eat a LOT more VOLUME of fresh raw produce than you would of say cooked rice or meats. Cooked foods are generally more calorie dense and will make you feel full when you eat less of them. Raw produce is nutrient dense, not calorie dense.
If you are always hungry on raw food, it probably just means you have to eat MORE of it. Don’t eat a normal sized salad or smoothie, make a giant one. You will never become overweight on these foods, so don’t be afraid to have larger meal portions.
I hope this helps! Good luck with your transition!
I am a high 98% raw, only because it is impossible to guarantee that “raw” nuts are really raw even when they say they are and even when you verify the information. Almonds need to be imported to be raw as an example.
That being said, I am successfully raw because of green smoothies! I have at least 1 and most days 2 quarts a day. I also have a fruit based smoothie each day. I have no problem with being raw. I am thriving for the first time in my life. My body is repairing itself, I am gaining back all my healthy functions. There isn’t room enough to tell you all that I’d love to share.
I’m now mentoring others to change their diets from a cooked carnivorous eating herbivore/standard american diet with phakephood, to a healthy plant-strong one with daily green smoothies.
Thanks so much to all of you for sharing your insight on this subject. I have one more question (for now) for you raw foodies and vegans, do you take supplements or do you feel you get everything you need from the food you eat? I quit taking calcium supplements last year after reading that it can build up in your arteries, especially in women, which is why I still drink cow’s milk. Any other milk with added calcium is just like taking a supplement, right? I know that certain veggies have calcium, but how are sure you are getting enough? Tx!
Milk from cows is acidic to our system. The body takes calcium OUT of our bones to nutrilize it. The only form of calicium that is good for us herbivores, is from the plant kingdom, specifically in leafy greens. A green smoothie per day keeps calcium deficiently away!
Beging a raw organic vegan myself, I stay as far away from meat and meat bi-products as I can. I even cringe when I feed my carnivorous cats meat cat food.
Liz
You can get everything you need from a raw vegan diet. Some people supplement with B12 but there are many opinions on the subject. You definitely do not need to (nor should you) take calcium supplements. If you are eating your greens, you will get your calcium. It’s much better quality than calcium milk, just like Karen mentioned. Here are some articles I wrote on Calcium if you are interested:
http://realrawhealth.com/excellent-information/is-milk-good/
http://realrawhealth.com/excellent-information/american-milk-banned-europe/
The biggest problem with supplements is that they are not regulated, so often you are not getting what you pay for (the are also often very contaminated). Also, the way they are manufactured means you are getting a giant dose of an isolated compound rather than something nicely balanced that you would find in a food from nature.
If your diet includes a range of fruits and vegetables and some sprouted (or cooked) whole grains, nuts and seeds you will not have any problem getting everything you need.