My Raw Food Experiment

reply to post by Brentnauer


People don't understand how the human body works, much less how it consumes energy.

This fact leads to every fashion or "need" that you see out there in our days. Vegans, vitamin pills, and all sorts of ignorant (I don't say this as an insult, just as lack of knowledge) forms of eating habits.

The thing is, most people take this ideas from the military. Many claim to read about it in magazines of other subjects, but lets face it, most of the things I see in survival discussions and discussions about alternative life-styles, come from military habits, specially from special forces.

Being in a special forces unit, I do know the ins and out's of this things, and mostly, the "why".

When people see us packing weird food supplies with our gear, they assume we do it because that's what you body needs to function correctly, and then most people take the wrong step of believe that we can apply that to the civil life.

You can't.

Surely, you can count your daily doses of calories. But that isn't the only way your body functions. You do burn calories, it's like our fuel. But you also need vitamins for other proposes, like correct brain development for example.

Most people say "I already have my vitamin doses, and I can even take them from pills".

Actually, you can't. And most of this things with this kind of attitude with alternative food supplies, simple or raw dishes, will inevitably end badly.

For example, in some op's, we take normal meals that can be eaten cold (because any smell(from heating it), light or any other sign that you give away while eating can give away your position).

After we run out of cold (but normal) meals, in case the mission goes for longer periods of time than expected, we eat whatever we have. This can go from chocolate/energetic bars, to packets of sugar (yes, the small ones you use in your coffe).

And we can go with that for days, or weeks. And we work fine, we are healthy and functional (we have to be).

But what most people fail to understand is that those diets are made for that period of time. Days, weeks, or a couple of months, top.

They aren't intended for long periods of time and it's a bit shocking to apply them as "eating habit".

If you want my true opinion, knowing how this things really affect you, you should research on other cultures for your eating habits.

I don't say this as a bad thing, and I don't want to sound offensive, but americans have a trash cuisine. You guys do have some very good stuff, but most of it can only be eaten once or twice a week.

Other cultures, "ancient cuisine" cultures have much more experience, health habits in their dishes, and they all consider practicality.

What you are doing it's like working out. It's fine, but it's more of an exercise to your body, a detoxication like you said, but that is it. More than a few days or a couple of weeks is too much for this kind of life style.

You should have this "shock therapy" and then move to a normal diet. Normal, but healthy.

I give you the example of my culture cuisine. You can have a full, satisfying and very tasty meal with just 20 minutes of your time.

And I'm sorry to be the one saying to you this, but if your life doesn't allow you to eat properly and be healthy, you should really reconsider your other parts of life, not your most basic needs...like eating!

Eating makes 70% of your mental and physical health, wether you notice it or not.

Why do you think that in submarines the crew has the best meals in the whole military? Consider what they go through the whole day, living in a tube 150m underwater. A nice hot meal is the best thing in your day, and that alone makes you feel happy enough to endure it for months.

If you are curious, check some portuguese recipes. Most of them are easy, very healthy and easy to make.

You can fill a cooking pot with water, boil it, and then boil some potatoes, an egg (whole, after cooked you pill it), some fish(like cod, for example) and a carrot or two.

Put that in your plate, use some olive oil and some vinegar to give it that extra flavor, and I guarantee you that in 20 minutes and with cheap stuff, you have a 10 times better meal than anything you have been eating for the last couple of days.

If you eat stuff like this, you'll save time, save your health, and if you apply some of those habbits with raw fruit as a desert/breakfast, you will have a tremendous tasty and healthy life-style in your stomach and an amazing boost in your mental fitness. You will be satisfied with your food, because it's tasty and looks good, and you will also feel better because...it is healthy.

If you want my advice, I advise you to research on mediterranean food. Portugal, Spain and Italy have great, great meals that are fast and easy to make, most of them even use cheap ingredients, and it's a food style that has centuries of "research" into it.

Originally posted by jenmckin
I am a certified Nutritional Consultant (holistic), so if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a U2U.

And through whom are you certified?

reply to post by Tifozi


A one a day multi vitamin/mineral complex is perfectly fine, won't cause harm and making sure your body has the full spectrum of micronutrients seems sensible.

As for healthy diets, the longest lived people tend to be around Okinawa. Plenty of fish and low fat meats, whole vegetables and restricted calories seem to be some of the key parts of a healthy diet.

reply to post by Brentnauer


GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!
Heck yeah!

You will go through some detox, its ok and be ready for crazy pooh's.
(colorful and amazing textures Ewww I know but its true)

You will also get natural highs from food, energy and balance, you may even start to dream and your psychic mind may come forward even more.

Start listening to nature around you, notice how much better you feel and how much more connected to friends and family are.

Also a trick for time saving, cut all your veggies at once and have them set aside in bags, That way you only have to clean and cut an hour a week and your whole weeks dinners are ready and fast.

DO NOT EAT FROM MICROWAVES it kills your nutrients.
articles.mercola.com...

Namaste

reply to post by Brentnauer


If you like sushi, there are some great tips you can get by going to the Japanese market. Find someone there who speaks english and check out what they offer. being a fan, I went and was amazed at how cheap you can get the tools you need to make rolls and such. It's hard to eat raw, without going for the fish. Tuna, salmon, and grouper are most tasty. good luck on your quest.

15 Sources Of High Protein Other Than Meat

www.flatstomachblog.com...

Item Serving Protein Carbohydrates
1. Soy Beans (boiled without salt) 1 Cup 29g 17g
2. Ricotta Cheese 1 Cup 28g 7g
3. Low Fat Cottage Cheese 1 Cup 28g 6g
4. Lentils (boiled without salt) 1 Cup 18g 40g
5. Bulgur (unprepared) 1 Cup 17g 106g
6. Split Peas (boiled without salt) 1 Cup 16g 41g
7. Oat Bran (unprepared) 1 Cup 16g 62g
8. Red Kidney Beans (boiled without salt) 1 Cup 15g 40g
9. Large Lima Beans (boiled without salt) 1 Cup 15g 36g
10. Rice - White Long Grain (parboiled) 1 Cup 13g 151g
11. Cowpeas (boiled without salt) 1 Cup 14g 36g
12. Yogurt (plain with skim milk) 8 oz/1 container 13g 17g
13. Potatoes (Gratin with butter) 1 Cup 12g 28g
14. Soft Tofu 1 Piece 8g 2g
15. Dry Roasted Peanuts (without salt) 1 oz/28 units 7g 6g

This information can be helpful, Americans are convinced you have to eat red meat in order to get protein, that would be the meat industry telling you that.

reply to post by Brentnauer


i hope you dont give up. you have an admirable cause. a worthy quest. go go go go!

its tough to eat healthy, so they say. it really is though when you factor in availability, ease, price, and conditioning. but i hope youre unwaiveringly on the path. we should all aspire to be healthy. juicing is great (according to infomercials). its definately better than chasing down animals. much more nutritious. much easier on your body too. keep us updated and good luck.

btw you may like my thread on having a healthy body. its in my signature.

For the record, and not that it's important, but I basically disagree with practically every one of the dozen+ posts that ImaginaryReality1984 wrote.

From the blender to juicer difference, to the pulp importance factor, to the dietitians "knowledge factor" to the Mayo clinic and their body of knowledge, to protein and the the casein comment, etc, etc.

I have a 0% drive for debate about any of it but I will just say, that dietitians are, for the most part, taught the opposite about food importance and its interactions within the body. All they are there for is to act as an"authority figure for food" while defending the food industry, their products, processes and the useless "food pyramid" designed by food industry lobbyists. None of which is in our interest.

They're unwillingly taught to blur the lines between real food and fake food and that there "is no bad food in moderation", which is ridiculous.

In backwards education land it's the exact same thing as to why doctors are taught the opposite regarding helpful information about chronic disease and illness.

If you have a chronic disease today, the Mayo clinic is bar-none the last place you want to go for answers. All you'll get there is a lifetime membership to the Sickcare industry and put on pills while being told it's perfectly okay to take medication for the rest of your life.

But enough about why everyone of us is used as a pawn to be taken advantage of by industry via brainwashed, authority specialists who were unwillingly taught everything they know from a longtime corrupt process of health and medical education. If the public wants to believe these professionals are there for the betterment of mankind rather than the real reason of industry profit, even it it means getting you sick and keeping you sick, then that's their choice.

A quick mention about the blender. When we eat raw and use a juicer it's primarily for vegetables. I noticed the OP is juicing a lot of fruits, which I wouldn't recommend. Mainly because they are expensive and may as well be eat instead given the quantity required to make a decent amount of juice.

Vegetable juice is the true constructive rebuilder of the body's cells. You want to get as much as possible of this into you. The notion of blending it all together is ridiculous as well. Besides, all the nutrients are in the juice, not the fibers. How is one going to eat 6lbs of blended carrots in a day? They aren't - and that 6lbs is nothing overwhelming by any means. Turn it into 48oz. and get ALL the benefits (except some fiber roughage, big deal).

And here's an interesting fact, when a plant is juiced (rather than blended) any pesticides that may be still on it after washing adheres to the fibers and is not separated amongst the juice. It's like mixing oil and water, it can't be done; just like juice and pesticides.

umm I don't think this thread belongs in the political issues and conspiracy section... more like somewhere in belowtopsecret.

Speed cleaning your bathroom. Ten times better in five minutes or less.

well no $#!+ eating fresh fruits and veggies helps you out!

danget people, if you want to be healthy and in shape try to steer clear of red meat, and animal byproducts like eggs, milk etc........

not that things like that cant be good, but because the average joe tends to eat nothing BUT red meat and animal byproducts

fish, fish, fish, poultry, nuts...... thats how to eat your protein folks.


be careful eating nothing but fruit and veggie, depends on how active you are but greens can be loaded with sugars and carbs, great if your active but if you just sit around and mill about you might as well stuff your face with candy.


Without getting to crazy, RISE AND DINE EARLY AND LOAD UP ON CARBS, eat a light lunch thats more of a big snack, then finish the day with a plate of food with your protein and fiber lower carbs.

Ideally you need to eat every 3 hours, if you want to trim up and get healthy carb, carb, carb, carb (oatmeal is great) variety of fruits and veggies (spice of life).

If you wanna build muscle you need to push yourself physically and eat all the protein you can stomach.

Paleolithic Diets FTW!!

You feel way better after a week or two as all the toxins are worked out and your digestive system starts functioning properly.

Anyone thinking of going on a diet like this (paleo, caveman, raw) - don't go too hard too fast - or you wont sick with it.

reply to post by Brentnauer


Wow, your head must be spinning from all the well wishers and advice. This happened to me as well.

I can only tell you what I did. First I tried to research all the information I could find. Official medical studies, new age, mayo clinic. You name it, I looked. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a definitive protocol for optimum health.

Finally I just decided to follow my own belief system--with what my intuition resonated with I came to the conclusion that we are the only animal on the planet that processes and cooks food. It just doesn't make sense to me that processing and cooking is required for health. I still cook and eat some processed food, but it's no longer the mainstay of my diet. Its a convenience and familiar to me. It's so much a part of our sociology.

If the American medical community knew the answer the United States wouldn't be at the bottom of the list for health. The food pyramid was just updated again. If eating processed grains, lots of dairy and meat, and canned/frozen foods was the way to go we wouldn't have the cancer, obesity and degenerative disease rates we have today. Something is wrong!!

Ten weeks into this, I have to admit, I am angry. I feel manipulated by the government and the giant companies that produce so much of our "food". Look at all the products that are actively advertised; really look at them and research them. You'll soon find there is much evidence that they do not contribute to health in any way.

My personal opinion is "detox" is not a myth. I have seen and felt the results. The P&B shakes are what makes a huge difference for me. The fiber scrubs as it goes through the alimentary system and the clay hold many times its weight and attracts toxins and binds to them, efficiently escorting them out. Without them I start to get foggy from all the released toxicity in my system. I believe mucoid plaque is real.

Oh, by the way, my favorite breakfast is now red pepper strips dipped in hummus and a smoothie I make in my food processor with 2 carrots, 5 strawberries, an orange and a banana(all organic). Yum! Fills me up till I have lunch 5 hours later.

I'll be watching your progress with great interest!

S1J1A1

That's cool dude.. I'm raw food all the way. Occasionally some organic baked goods along with raw cheese and milk is good if you can find it in your town.

To add to your detoxification, check out: Natural Cures by Kevin Trudeau

If you really want to get that # out of your system I suggest doing some regular colonics followed by some water fasting.. that book is great for getting your health back on track though, it's all in there.

If you can go to all the effort to buy stuff and throw it into a juicer, you can make yourself healthy meals.


I watched a show on people on a raw food diet and they had to eat like 40 lbs of fruits and veggies and spend about 12 hours a day eating. It is a lot of work.

Your best friend is the crockpot.

Trader joes has a lot of really good, frozen meals. Low on the crap, and tasty, and you can fix it in minutes.

[edit on 19-7-2010 by nixie_nox]

reply to post by Mayura

To add to your detoxification, check out: Natural Cures by Kevin Trudeau

I own two of his books, both are just advertisements for his website where you have to pay to get any real meaningful information. I would never recommend those garbage book form advertisements!

Day 3:

Cravings are setting in... I really want some damn Beefaroni right now.

Breakfast:
Made a smoothie with 2 bananas and various leafy greens. Ate 3 large oranges, a bunch of grapes, 3 stalks of celery, a sliced up papaya. 2 bananas, a handful of raspberries and blueberries and 6 strawberries.

Lunch:
A cup of raw nuts and seeds and a huge salad (romaine lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, and an avocado. Lemon juice for dressing).

Dinner:
10 strawberries, 2 bananas, 1 slice of watermelon, a cup of blackberries.

I feel like I got plenty of calories today, not hungry at all and way more energy than normal. Did feel a bit feverish right before lunch which is in line with detox symptoms, or blood-sugar issues like another poster described.

Major cravings for junk food though... I spent a good portion of the day thinking about a nice big hamburger...

Originally posted by Brentnauer
I'm tired of eating #.

In watching some documentaries and taking a look at my daily eating habits, I'm disgusted. My diet consists of Taco Bell, frozen pot stickers, ramen, cookies and Wendy's.

I've wanted to start eating healthy for a long time, but being a single guy with a 60 hour a week job plus other irons in the fire... It's far too difficult (if not impossible) to set aside time to cook myself healthy, balanced meals. I happened on the concept of a raw food diet and decided it was something I would actually have time to do.

So today I'm changing m,y ways. Starting today through Monday, August 16th I'll be on a raw food only diet. At the end of every day I'll do my best to post what I ate and how I'm feeling so far.

There is a detoxification stage with this kind of diet, so I expect to be feeling pretty crappy in a few days. Hopefully you guys can cheer me on :-)

I went down to Target today and bought one of those fancy juicers that dude withe the crazy eyebrows sells on TV. Then I made a trip to Harris Teeter and bought a whole load of fruits, veggies, some cold-smoked salmon and a few organic condiments. My goal is to have at least a diet of 75% raw foods, so I had room to buy some artisan bread.

Fired up the juicer when I got home and threw in a nectarine, a plum, a bunch of blueberries and a banana. Found out later you aren't supposed to juice a banana, but it worked anyways.

The resulting concoction was delicious. For some reason I was expecting the kind of juice you buy at the store, but this was far richer and was actually fun to drink. That's all I've had so far and I feel pretty good. Far better than if I had a gordita and some jellybeans.

\

Congrats, Brentnauer, for your brave experiment. I can tell you from experience that you're slowing down your detox process by including any animal products (smoked salmon) and any cooked foods.

Astroved

reply to post by ImaginaryReality1984


I don't know from where you get your notions, but you're wrong.

Well, not wrong. You simply don't understand the whole picture of how the body works.

A one a day multi vitamin/mineral complex is perfectly fine

No it isn't. Your body needs food. Not sand. Vitamins, minerals and basic element components are a part of what your body needs. Not everything.

and making sure your body has the full spectrum of micronutrients seems sensible

Of course. But you also need food. Real food.

Like I said before, what he is doing is good for as a supplement, not as a diet.

As for healthy diets, the longest lived people tend to be around Okinawa.

The average age of death means nothing. You can live to your 110's, and your life is misery. While most healthy cultural diets tend to make you live up to your 90's, and have a very satisfying quality of life.

It's how you live, not how long.

Plenty of fish and low fat meats, whole vegetables and restricted calories seem to be some of the key parts of a healthy diet.

Congratulations. You just found out what Mediterranean diets have been doing for centuries.


What you people don't understand is that your body is a machine. A organic machine, but still, a machine. That means that you need to use it correctly in order for it to work properly.

Sure, you can plug a tube to your veins or your stomach and pump all the minerals, vitamins and proteins that your body needs to burn.

But what you seem to forget is that your body needs to work out, in every level.

For mental fitness, you need intellectual exercises like reading, making some calculations, etc.

For muscle fitness, you need physical exercise, pulling weights, cardiorespiratory exercises and stretching of your joints and tendons.

For organic and digestive fitness, you need to eat (CHEW) food, swallow it, allow your stomach to digest it properly and then allow your intestines to digest that food.

It's not only about nutrients, vitamins and minerals. You actually need to use your digestive muscles. If you don't, your body will reject any kind of food, because it can't digest it, or even make it go through your system.

That's the ignorant and dangerous part of this diets. People forget that we NEED to eat almost every single item in the food pyramid.

reply to post by Brentnauer


I'm just going to warn you about this:

When your teeth start to become yellow, and then brown, and you start to feel strong stomach pain... Those aren't "detox" symptoms.

Those are signs that your acid levels are through the roof.

Fruit is a good supplement, or a good snack. Not good as a meal for long periods of time. The amount of citrus acid (just because it comes from fruit doesn't mean it's good) you are pumping into your system is alarming and dangerous.

At least drink some pasteurized milk. Not fat, not light. Normal pasteurized milk.

If you don't want to give up that diet, fine. But at least balance your system.

Originally posted by Tifozi
I don't know from where you get your notions, but you're wrong.

Well, not wrong. You simply don't understand the whole picture of how the body works.

No it isn't. Your body needs food. Not sand. Vitamins, minerals and basic element components are a part of what your body needs. Not everything.

Did i ever say that a multi vitamin should be used alone? They are called supplements for a reason you know. I was siply encouraging him to use one to make sure all things were being intaken correctly.

Originally posted by Tifozi

Of course. But you also need food. Real food.

Like I said before, what he is doing is good for as a supplement, not as a diet.

And i never disgreed with this, before reading into what someone says maybe you should actually read what they have put. Vitamins are supplements, the clue is in the name.

Originally posted by Tifozi
The average age of death means nothing. You can live to your 110's, and your life is misery. While most healthy cultural diets tend to make you live up to your 90's, and have a very satisfying quality of life.

It's how you live, not how long.

Yes and the Okinawans tend to live very healthy lives even up to the day they die, usually going in their sleep and often after sex according to research.

Before you question where i get my information from maybe you should do some research, i've read the scientific papers, have you?

Originally posted by Tifozi

Congratulations. You just found out what Mediterranean diets have been doing for centuries.

Congratulations you're deeply coondesending and you're basically agreeing with everything i have put while arguing about it. You need to take a step back and think for a moment.

Originally posted by Tifozi
What you people don't understand is that your body is a machine. A organic machine, but still, a machine. That means that you need to use it correctly in order for it to work properly.

Sure, you can plug a tube to your veins or your stomach and pump all the minerals, vitamins and proteins that your body needs to burn.

And i never said anything like that.

So congratulations on completely and utterly misreading what someone has put, putting words in their mouth and blowing it out of all proportion.

reply to post by ImaginaryReality1984

Did i ever say that a multi vitamin should be used alone?

No. But what is the point of defending that is he is only eating the basic elements? You're saying "just eat supplements", when he actually only eats that.

They are called supplements for a reason you know. I was siply encouraging him to use one to make sure all things were being intaken correctly.

What you fail to understand is that you are making part of the problem, not the solution.

Supplement's don't do him any good if he isn't eating properly. It's just a cheap and ignorant fix for a problem that doesn't exist.

He doesn't need supplements because he doesn't have any deficiency. His whole diet is the problem. Not his absorption capability.

What you are suggesting applies when someone has a deficiency of some sort. He doesn't have that problem.

his problem, is that he is getting everything into his system, but he is just concerned about that, not about the rest.

And i never disgreed with this, before reading into what someone says maybe you should actually read what they have put. Vitamins are supplements, the clue is in the name.

And I never said that you were completely wrong. But from my experience, that is almost as dangerous as doing something wrong on propose.

I never attacked you, just what you said. And here you are all buffed up because someone said that you're wrong (which, you're).

Yes and the Okinawans tend to live very healthy lives even up to the day they die, usually going in their sleep and often after sex according to research.

And if you actually merged into the various studies instead of pulling them out of your mind, you would also mention that nobody knows why they are so healthy and why they live so prosper.

The reality of ONE city or ONE population doesn't serve any scientific propose whatsoever. It can be anything, and we don't know.

But we do know the reality of 99,9999% of the population.

Although for the good way of the word, the people from Okinawa are an abnormality, so their case in science is pretty much useless and there is no point in mentioning them.

It's like studying world record holders and stating that everyone can be like that.

Before you question where i get my information from maybe you should do some research, i've read the scientific papers, have you?

I question whatever I want. And actually, should do you, instead of putting your tail between the legs and acting all defensive. I made simple questions to your remarks, that were incorrect and misleading. The only thing I saw from your "expertise" was the explanation of the word "supplements" (and you didn't even apply it correctly) and personal defense mechanisms.

You read the scientific papers? Good for you. I have to know this things to survive in my job. So stop acting like you know everything just because "you read papers".

Congratulations you're deeply coondesending and you're basically agreeing with everything i have put while arguing about it. You need to take a step back and think for a moment.

Yes, I am condescending because you actually deserved it. Your statement was so obvious that is as useful as a scientist saying "hey, I found that the wheel is round".

And i never said anything like that.

So congratulations on completely and utterly misreading what someone has put, putting words in their mouth and blowing it out of all proportion.

I'm sorry, where in "you people" you see me talking to only you?

What are you going to say next? That you read some scientific papers and that you now represent every single poster?

And pleas, stop acting like every word is a stone meant to hurt you.

[edit on 20/7/10 by Tifozi]

[edit on 20/7/10 by Tifozi]