A 30 day experiment: 30 days of a raw food diet

Personally I feel that a raw food diet is not so good for diabetics
As the food is concentrated in the blending and juicing
Fruit/veg juices are concentrated fructose which can sends the blood sugar sky high

(I control my own blood sugar through my change in my eating habits and do not and have never taken any medication for my diabetes)



The best thing for me is to eat slow releasing foods such as organic oat meal, brown rice, lentils, beans, peas and this food is not possible to eat raw as it needs to be cooked
I eat salads and vegetables raw and also use a set of steaming pans to slightly cook my vegetables for a change

I eat nothing that is processed and stay well clear of all vegetable fats food additives or artificial sweetners

I have had to educate myself on what is good oils/fats and what is bad foods for me to eat

I do prepare my food in advance and will freeze food as the danger for me is that when I am in a hurry and need fast food I may be tempted to eat rubbish food from lack of choice
Now I know I can go into the freezer and defrost stews and soups or full dinners quickly
I carry oatmeal cakes/biscuits with me fruit such as apples and herbal tea's and bottled water ..
This stops me looking around for food when I am out as I find the choice of any healthy fast food for diabetics is non existent
I also will not use any chemical substitute for sugar
(Which is put into many of the fast convenience diabetic foods)

I do have the stevia sweeter in drop form and I have used this on occasion to sweeten home made foods...and works very well

Anyway Nikiano good luck on your diet and I will be following your progress

By the way I did check out the raw chocolate food ....
Hmm that stuff is good ...
on occasion I do treat myself to biological chocolate
That is 94% cocoa


starred and flagged

I was told by family practitioner during a yearly physical the results of my blood test showed a "higher" than normal cholesterol level. This was back in 2007. Since that time I have attempted to change my eating habits, not in terms of the amount of food, in order to get my necessary daily intake, but foods that would not increase the already "high" cholesterol level.

Last year the test showed the number had increased just a bit, as did my weight. Being able to stay on low fat diet, based on the information I was provided from the physician. Of course having a 3 year old running around, I seemed to be eating more processed foods. Eating out at work was also a bad thing, as we are right near the 'Chinatown' portion of the city. So of course everything that tastes good seemed to be fried.

Earlier this year I was able to stick to a low fat diet for about a month an a half. I stopped eating foods I knew were not good for me. The number of lunch outings was cut down to once a week. The results were great! There was substantial weight loss (215 lbs to 190 lbs) and I felt better. The bloated feeling I constantly had was gone.

I would like to improve on what I have already succeeded at. A change in diet (not weight loss) is what I am after now. Something that will fill me up, but not allow me to get bored eating the same thing each and every day. Good luck on your 30 day trial! Look forward to hearing the results.

Good luck..but im willing to bet the results will be good,yet nothing to do with the fact the food is raw..more to do with choice of foods.Humans are omnivores,our digestive system is built so it can gain nutrients from a wild variety of things...hence it is not built for one purpose and is not so good at leeching nutrients from only a certain food..whether it be vegetables,shellfish..red meat etc So even by the time most people boil vegetables, the amount of nutrients left in the vegetable is still adequate enough for a human and its digestive system to process and take what it needs...the rest will go down the toilet

Raw for Life - The Ultimate Encyclopedia of the Raw Food Lifestyle

This is the trailer:
www.youtube.com...

The full DVD version can be found on the net easy enough. Its a great program with invaluable information about going raw.

I will mention though, like anything moderation is the key. A raw diet is a fantastic way to a better way of life, but as always, keeping a balanced diet is the sensible way.

Myself and family have gained wonderful benefits from a raw diet and it really does work. But I also keep a balance in ALL things as meat, fish and poultry do have their place in the diet. Just in MUCH smaller amounts than what we use to consume.

I can honestly say I have not eaten KFC, McDonalds, Chocolate, Soda, Potato Crisps or any form of 'junk' food in over 12 months. In 12 months I've gone from 91 kilo's to 67 kilo's and I have not looked this trim and healthy since my teenage years.

I can say from experience the raw diet does work wonders. But don't forget there's nothing wrong with meat in small amounts, and treating yourself to some 'junk' once in a while is not a bad thing.

reply to post by nikiano


I'm all for you. Haha, sometimes I wonder if cows can graze grass and still grow fit, why can't humans?

reply to post by Zosynspiracy


Thanks for the post.

Actually I wrote down that I knew that v8 wasn't really raw, but it's better than burger and fries.

Well, like I said, the goal of a raw food diet is 75% raw, not 100% raw, and I'm new at this....so, I'm doing the best I can. I haven't been able to find ANY websites that give you a play by play of what to eat everyday.

Would you mind posting your raw food links and helpful hints here on the thread for everyone to see? I would really appreciate it, and I'd love hints on how to eat raw healthily (which is maybe why I don't last more than a week on my previous raw diet).

I do find, however, that when I eat raw, I eat much less than I do when I don't eat raw. They say that it's because raw food packs more nutritional content, so your body doesn't need as much food (calories) to get the same amount of nutrition.

So, I'm not trying to starve myself...I just wasn't that hungry yesterday.

Oh, except I did have some raw Brazil nuts (4 of them) last night before bed as a bedtime snack.

Good for you! Stick to the diet....it pays off!

Three months ago I adopted a vegetarian diet. I am 6'0 ft. tall and weighed 220 lbs. The decision to lose my fat is based on pre-hypertension and general disgust with myself.

Initially, my weight loss was slow. So...I stepped things up in the last month by going completely vegan. So far I have lost 22 lbs. If it kills me, I will get down to 172 lbs. and a 31" waistline.

The great thing is that I can eat as much as I want. No counting calories or monitoring my fat intake. I feel much better and there are many days I have no need to take my blood pressure medication (I monitor it very closely. Consult your doctor before experimenting with your medication).

However, I do cook some of my vegetables. For instance, carrots are better cooked/steamed whole; as they soften to realease more valuable nutrients and are more easily absorbable by the body than raw carrots.

Anyways, good luck to you.

reply to post by nikiano


Youre about 65kg and want to lose weight?

HUH?

Judging from your posts, you said you felt chubby - I dont think losing any weight will fix that, I think you might have a different problem...

Unless you're a midget then you're IN your healthy weight bracket.

Oo

reply to post by badw0lf


Yah i wouldn't worry either.. im 6 foot 2ish and 170lb.Probably a tad skinny for my weight but im not bothered.Just dont not eat yourself to a silly weight for your height etc.

Super charge me raw 30 day raw food trailor.

She tells it as it is like it.





I really liked following her videos form day 1 the major transformations and what she went though, how she got through it.

There is so many raw food support videos you cna find on youtube to help you on your journey if you go it alone. For my family to transition i was being an example. They saw the changes in me and no longer felt that i was doing the wrong thing. They woke up to the fact that we were eating a lie from corporate sponsored food companies.





[edit on 22-6-2009 by Applesandoranges]

Thanks everyone, for the posts, and for all the support and help.

Ok, I weighed in today, and I weigh 142.8 pounds this morning (June 23) so far I've lost 0.8 pounds in 3 days, which is pretty good, I'd say.

I've only cheated a couple of times....for Father's Day (2 days ago), I took my dad out for dinner, and although I had a salad, I also had 2 pieces of parmesan bread.

Yesterday,I also cheated by having some chocolate covered espresso beans (a small amount), but I was really getting a caffeine withdrawal headache, and I didn't want to drink any soda, so I figured the expresso beans would help me fight the caffeine withdrawal. I was also craving salt, so I ate some miso soup. So, even with the espresso beans and miso soup, I was within the 75% raw for the day, even if you include the espresso beans.

Oh, as far as the being chubby at 143 pounds, yes I am chubby for my size, I am only 5'2''....I'm not being hard on myself. I'm short!! The official BMI index puts me at "overweight" (not obsese) so I definitely need to lose weight for health reasons.

I've been eating raw fruits and veggies mostly...avocados, bananas, salads, orange juice, celery and peanut butter, and apples. I'm also eating raw nuts: raw Brazil nuts and raw sunflower seeds. (Eating too much peanut butter, though...need to get away from all that fat, I think.)

I'm staying simple, trying not to worry about preparing foods yet, so I don't get overwhelmed with food preparation. My main goal right now is to eat raw, and not worry about finding new raw foods to eat. If I can stay on this diet for the first week, then I'll worry about bringing new raw foods into my diet.

I've probably been eating too much peanut butter...I need to find an alternative protein source without all that fat.

General feelings of well being:
I feel good, compared to usually when I go on a diet, I'm always hungry. But I'm not hungry on this diet. Probably because I'm probably eating more nutritiously than before. So, I'm not hungry, and I'm not shaky.

Aside from the caffeine withdrawal headache yesterday, I feel really good..I have more energy. Since I have the day off, I'm actually thinking of going for a quick jog, which is amazing. Two days ago, I was feeling dead tired, and didn't want to get off the couch.

So...so far, so good! I am losing weight (0.8 pounds) and I'm not hungry, or shaky, and I have more energy. Yeay! We'll see if I can keep this up.



[edit on 23-6-2009 by nikiano]

[/sarcasm] This wont work you need to eat meat to get protien or you will die. [/sarcasm]
Srsly though, good luck. Even if you dont feel great teh first few weeks, at least your trying. Which is more than most people are able to do with those blinders on.

Interesting idea. At first, I thought this was going to include eating raw meat which is beyond gross.

I have some questions though for the OP: Are you spending more money on this raw diet then you were before you started? Are you able to grow some of the food?

reply to post by buffet of lies


No, no meat. I'm mostly vegetarian, although I do eat seafood once in a while.

I wish I could grow my own food, but I live in Arizona, and it's freaking hot here, and I only have a patio. I tried to do a patio garden last year with tomatoes, etc...but they all died from heat. Back where I grew up, my Mom always had a nice vegetable garden. I kind of wish I still lived back in the midwest!

As far as spending more money, actually no. I shop at Sunflower, which has low prices, and lots of organic food, and their prices are really low. I find that since I"m not eating out or eating fast food, or even buying processed food, I'm spending less money in general. For example, today, I stopped off at Sunflower and got some organic nectarines, a carton of organic almond milk, a head of celery, organic grapes, and a box of organic microwave popcorn, and I only paid $14.00 which isn't too bad for fresh, organic produce.

(I know the popcorn isn't raw, but I get terrible cravings at work, so, this is my healthy cheat food in case I get a craving at work, rather than going to the vending machine and getting candy, soda, or chips.)

Originally posted by nikiano
reply to post by buffet of lies

 

No, no meat. I'm mostly vegetarian, although I do eat seafood once in a while.

I wish I could grow my own food, but I live in Arizona, and it's freaking hot here, and I only have a patio. I tried to do a patio garden last year with tomatoes, etc...but they all died from heat. Back where I grew up, my Mom always had a nice vegetable garden. I kind of wish I still lived back in the midwest!

As far as spending more money, actually no. I shop at Sunflower, which has low prices, and lots of organic food, and their prices are really low. I find that since I"m not eating out or eating fast food, or even buying processed food, I'm spending less money in general. For example, today, I stopped off at Sunflower and got some organic nectarines, a carton of organic almond milk, a head of celery, organic grapes, and a box of organic microwave popcorn, and I only paid $14.00 which isn't too bad for fresh, organic produce.

(I know the popcorn isn't raw, but I get terrible cravings at work, so, this is my healthy cheat food in case I get a craving at work, rather than going to the vending machine and getting candy, soda, or chips.)

Just want to give advice for the cravings at work, which of course is up to you. Have you tried the green smoothies? Apparently in many people it has helped reduce cravings and you can take it to work provided that they have a fridge or you can keep it out of fridge for a certain time.

Can i suggest to grow food in hot climates on your patio, try to find heat tolerant potted plants that can provide shade for your food plants. Or buy seeds especially for hot climates.

Also if you and your family can put in money together you can get organic food from the wholesaler at a good price. But you will need alot of fridge and freezer and storage room.

Green smoothie video. Victoria Boutenko Founder.





When you have green smoothies you get all the protein you need.

[edit on 24-6-2009 by Applesandoranges]

I'm very happy to hear that you are taking on this challenge.

It is quite a challenge indeed, as I can say from experience as I transition to raw food as well.

I am very interested in hearing how your progress goes. Your experiment is a very strong one and I have no doubt you'll notice LOTS within a short time frame.

I've been gradually moving that way over the past six months or so. After becoming vegetarian since about a year ago (at the same time I eliminated all processed foods and fake foods) I've been upping my raw foods and decreasing my cooked foods.

Of course, being the epitome of unhealthiness, I wouldn't have been able to put the effort into this that I have without understanding the truth about food and nutrition (because like everything else we are taught throughout our lives, facts about food were lies and manipulations as well).

When we understand how live nutrients and enzymes play a role in our body's functions, we can understand why lower levels of calorie intake can give us more energy throughout the day then we've ever experienced before.

When speaking to friends or anyone in person, the conversions always gravitate towards something important (I make sure of it). So health, food and disease is a big topic I find myself speaking about lately because it's an area that escapes no one.

I even carry a little list I put together, in my wallet, for people that need to tangibly see the foods I'm talking about.

All foods can be placed into three categories, those being; Positive, Neutral, Negative. The categories indicate the overall usefulness of foods as we ingest them.

Here's my list;

Positives

Vegetables
Fruits
Nuts/seeds
Flax oil/Olive oil
Honey
Spices (cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, oregano, parsley, etc)
non-canned Beans (options are unlimited)
Lentils (also unlimited)
Whole grains
Rock salt or NON-iodized sea-salt
Almond milk or other nut milks


Neutral

Whole wheat
Yogurt
Cheese/butter
organic chocolate
store bought 100% juice from concentrate or there other trick words like "gently pasteurized"
Eggs


Negative

Processed foods (anything that coming in a box)
MSG, Aspartame (obviously)
Table salt
Soda or pop
White Foods (bread, sugar, flour, rice, pastries - a lot falls in here)
Milk
Meat
Margarine
Canned soups
beer, wine, tobacco
unfortunately, even organic coffee is here as well


By no means is the list exhaustive but we can see how much of our daily foods falls into the negative category meaning, hurts us more than helps us.

I was 30+ years in the negative category only. Now I don't touch any of it and can I ever feel the difference. The difference is night and day. It's worth it for the energy alone, not to mention health and vitality down the line.

Good luck!

You should do some more research because you are f'ing clueless!

Raw milk is one of the most nutritious most health building foods you can put in your body. It's loaded with probiotic bacteria and healthy enzymes. To put it into the negative category shows your true ignorance on the subject and it's very annoying.

So to paint all "milk" products as negative without distinguishing between raw and pasteurized says to me you are clueless.

It's also amusing that you put honey in the positive category without making any distinction. Raw unheated honey is a life building food. Processed honey is crap and a terrible food.

Originally posted by Zosynspiracy
You should do some more research because you are f'ing clueless!

Raw milk is one of the most nutritious most health building foods you can put in your body. It's loaded with probiotic bacteria and healthy enzymes. To put it into the negative category shows your true ignorance on the subject and it's very annoying.

So to paint all "milk" products as negative without distinguishing between raw and pasteurized says to me you are clueless.

Where the hell are you buying raw milk? And by the way, the only animal's milk that ISN'T a burden on the human body is raw goat's milk. Raw cow's milk, as much as you'd like to believe it, doesn't help the human body - as our digestive tracks are not made to digest another species infant formula. This is despite what Cletus and his farm says. But thanks for chiming in.