Hello all,

I am 6'9" and weigh 320#. I constantly have physical issues such as joint pain, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism and a few more embarassing problems that are associated with being obese and 46 years old. I was sitting in my living room last week eating a pepperoni pizza and drinking a Coke while watching CNN. They mentioned someone who lost 160#'s on the raw food diet and she wrote a book. I didn't think much about it at the time other than, "oh great, yet another diet" (while eating my pizza). But the news segment planted a seed of thought in my brain about how in nature no other animal eats anything other than raw. I realized that very few animals in nature are overweight, they are fit, they rarely die exept from old age or predators. The only animals that I know of that suffer from obesity, diabetes and joint problems are dogs and cats that eat processed foods. So here I am surfing the web and looking for direction. I found this website and I am hoping that y'all can help me by telling me what I need to do to get started. I don't want to make a mistake by buying the wrong book, the wrong equipment, etc. Please share the tools and knowledge that were successful for you. Especially for a beginner.

Thanks,
RGH69

Excellent awakening RGH! You've hit on the SIMPLE solution.....that many people try to turn into a COMPLEX one....or one of 'deprivation'...when it is neither (in my opinion).

-What does cooking do for the nutritional and protein quality of the food? It does nothing but lower it. If one is eating for taste only...then one admits that...and accepts the consequences.

-If one has over-riding dreams that REQUIRE healthy eating as a fuel....and healthy lifestyles.....then one will develop the details. If one does not have these dreams and follow them....then healthy lifestyles CANNOT substitute in the long run. People wake up one day and say: "What am I staying healthy for?" Ha! ha! It's true! (and that starts the so-called: 'falling off the wagon'. Heh..heh).

Tips to get started (although it sounds very basic):

1) The worse the previous habits and weight, the LESS the person should be doing for the first 30 days....using VERY small steps....and goals...with definite timetables.

2) Develop a PROCESS that never stops...no matter how small...and your success is assured. Other ways depend on circumstance.

3) Don't get hung up on the word 'raw'. Think: "Fresh, unprocessed fruits & vegetables'.

4) Start by being brutally HONEST and writing down what over-all % of fresh raw produce you are eating NOW....and are 100% comfortable with. Set small goals to increase this 1-2% per week. Determine what YOUR end goal of LIFETIME overall % raw is.

5) Journal EVERYTHING you consume for the first week. Write down the name, calories, and fat content. Jot the simple computation of how many calories you need in a day to maintain body weight. You can easily figure out how much activity you need to help regulate your weight....and your journal will tell you what you are REALY eating and thinking. Write down all your goals. As long as you have a process for CONSISTENTLY coming in under what you need to support your current weight....then the weight should start to come off slowly...aided by weight-lifting and healthy eating....and staying full.

6) To get started: don't think 'deprivation' or 'restriction'. Don't try to cut anything out really. Just try to ADD fresh fruits and vegetables......that you LOVE.....and your desire for crap should be blocked out....and your body ceases to accept it. It is quite natural.....where 'dieting' is not.

7) All you REALLY need are your head, hands and feet! Ha! ha! You CAN just get to the store and BUY the healthy stuff you love and stuff your face! Ha! ha!

8) Just using the simple implements most kitchens have (some good knives, a cutting board, etc.) are all the basics you need. Other stuff CAN be fun. A decent blender & juicer can be had at your local thrift stores for almost nothing....or purchased at Walmart or wherever.

Books:

-I haven't read it, but 12 Steps to Raw gets good praise:

[www.amazon.com]

-I've heard some folks like The Raw Detox Diet:

[www.amazon.com]


-Being more scientific, my personal favorite is Gabriel Cousens, Conscious Eating:

[www.amazon.com]

-Hope some of these tips/experiences are helpful to you!

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2008 01:25PM by davidzanemason.

David,

Thanks for the excellent response. One thing you said really struck home. Currently I eat mainly meat, bread and rice so my raw food % is easy. It is zero.

I will go to the store today and hit the produce section. Quick question, is there any fruits or vegetables that I cannot eat raw? For example, we used to have a garden where we grew Okra and I started to eat one right off the plant and my neighbor said that they are poisenous unless cooked.

welcome to the world of raw. The weight will just fall off of you when eating raw foods. There are many more bennifits from eating raw as well as loseing weight one gets a greater awareness of the environment and feels more energetic. The raw food diet is not just a fad its a lifestyle change.

The books I like to read are...

Any Ann wigmore books

The china study

green for life by

consious eating


quantum eating

Its not so complicated to eat raw foods its actually easier because you don't cook it you just chop it up and eat. For starting out its fun to make it an experiment on yourself. Have fun with eating raw.

Welcome RGH,

wow you are very tall!
what are your favorite fruits?

please keep us posted how its going for you
i think one of the first things you might notice is a b/p drop

glad you posted

I don't have much in the way of equipment or books etc.
I just eat simple raw foods and listen to my body as my raw food coach.
Take your time and eat more raw foods when and if it feels right to you.
I have learned that eating raw is not an all or nothing lifestyle but rather an ongoing series of choices to eat healthier foods one meal at a time.
Take a bite for the health of it today.

fruitgirl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Welcome RGH,
>
> wow you are very tall!
> what are your favorite fruits?
>
> please keep us posted how its going for you
> i think one of the first things you might notice
> is a b/p drop
>
> glad you posted


Thanks, My favorite fruits are the standard Apples, Pears, plums, banannas. I also like Kiwi and Dragonfruit. I really hope my BP does drop because I don't want to have to take Toprol the rest of my life.

RGH,

Apples, Pears, plums, bananas, Kiwi and Dragonfruit
is a huge boost right there!!!

please be patient
you will see the more fruit and veggies you eat
the more your taste buds will literally change preferences

plus there may be many new fruits for you to explore
that you may also love
have you had fresh figs?

and soon its persimmon time!!!
what region do you live in?

RGH69, I was motivated to begin eating raw foods due to a bodily trauma I sustained. I wanted to be well and raw foods seemed like the right avenue to take. My motivations ran deep and extended beyond the physical. I tasted what it felt like to be completely defeated physically and it's not a good feeling. I was at my worst physically, spiritually and emotionally when I began. I completed a 30 day master cleanse and then began to research healthful ways of living. Raw foods called to me almost immediately.

What worked for me was to take it one day at a time and I read as much as possible about the raw food lifestyle. Once I committed to becoming a raw foodist everything fell into place. I seemed to be magnetized to finding raw sites that offered inspiration and from there I picked up some of the books that have already been mentioned, particularly Dr. Gabriel Cousens' Conscious Eating resonated with me on many levels.

I made it fun and didn't put many restrictions on myself. I simply dove in and began eating 100% raw. I am blessed to live in a city with a couple of really good raw food restaurants so this also helped with the transition. As a treat, perhaps look into the ones that deliver if you aren't in close proximity to one. This isn't a promotion, just a suggestion. RAWVolution in Santa Monica and some others deliver around the country. I found that it helped to sample some of the transitional foods that mimicked the carbs I was formerly addicted too - like crackers, breads, pastries, pizza, etc. I was able to find suitable raw substitutes in raw crackers, pizzas etc.

I also invested in a great blender, juicer, food processor, dehydrator and other tools that helped me stay raw.

A year after beginning my raw journey, I have transitioned to a more simple diet and pretty much just use my blender. I generally eat sprouts, drink juices, smoothies, salads and have whole fruits and root vegetables. Bread seems like a foreign concept to me these days. haha. I don't require as much food to satisfy myself and it just feels great to be in tune with my body this way.

On a physical level, I had joint issues as well and now they're almost completely eradicated. Not to mention I think I've shaved 20 years off my appearance. I'm in my mid 40's and always get mistaken for late 20's to early 30's. I always have looked young, but it's exacerbated by being raw.

I also have fasted intermittingly while eating 100% raw foods. I prefer water fasting to any others. This may seem extreme for right now to you -- I waited until my body felt the need to do take this route. It's not necessary to fast, eating raw foods for a length of time is usually enough. But if you feel called to try it, give it a shot. I love it. I was a vegetarian for 20 years before becoming raw so the transition may be a little different for me as someone who was not eating meat and SAD diet, but just the same I think everyone faces their challenges in overcoming certain food addictions, in particular the addiction to cooked food.

I hope you find everything you need to stay raw and I think it's quite amazing how you've received your revelations.

Enjoy your food!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2008 06:38PM by rawangel.

One of my hardest things to get used to was figuring out what to make myself to eat without things getting boring. (after a while, I started to like "boring", mono-meals (like just eating watermelon and nothing else), but not at first.)

So try this and see if you like it. There is a whole website of recipes, some totally raw, some mostly raw, but nearly all of them have pictures, and comments from people who have tried the recipes:

[goneraw.com]

It's great to have all the appliances, high speed blender, dehydrator, juicer, etc, but you can do a lot without them.

Sapphire

It's a common idea....and somewhat a misconception....that there are poisonous or toxic raw foods that you are going to buy at your local grocer! LOL. Here is the list from Wiki:

* Apple (Malus domestica) Seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides; in most species, the amount found in a single fruit won't kill a person; but it is possible to ingest enough seeds to provide a fatal dose.
* Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Toxic in the unprocessed form.
* Cherry (Prunus cerasus), as well as other species (Prunus spp) such as peach (Prunus persica), plum (Prunus domestica), almond (Prunus dulcis) and apricot (Prunus armeniaca). Leaves and seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides.
* Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Foliage and green-tinged tubers are toxic, containing the glycoalkaloid solanine, which develops as a result of exposure to light. Causes intense digestive disturbances, nervous symptoms.
* Rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum) Leaf blades, but not petioles, contain oxalic acid salts, causing kidney disorders, convulsions, coma. Rarely fatal.
* Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Foliage and vines contain alkaloid poisons which cause digestive upset and nervous excitement.

-So: the standard stuff you buy in the store you should have no problems foraging requires more care and training). You would definitely have to go out of your way to eat green raw potato and apple seeds all day....in order to sicken yourself! Unlikely, since they are not very appealing or tasty (in my opinion).

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Wow, great information everyone.

Rawangel, I think I will be the same way about breads, etc. I am definately a carboholic. It will be very helpful to find those substitues. We have a Whole foods grocery here in the Houston area, I will check them out tomorrow.

Thanks again.

BTW, for lunch I had a salad made with mixed greens, carrots, broccoli and walnuts. For a dressing my wife grated apples with a little lemon juice. It was suprisingly good! I will take the advice and not go 100% yet but at least I started!

rgh69 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> we used to have a garden where we grew Okra and I
> started to eat one right off the plant and my
> neighbor said that they are poisenous unless
> cooked.

Good news RGH:

Okras can be eaten raw. The younger the better. I used to eat them straight from our tree during my teens and I am still around. Actually last week I had some for dinner. The way I prepared it was cut them into small pieces and mix with green leaf lettuce and and served it with shredded carrots that had a few raisins sprinkled in. Sometimes I sprinkle celery seeds on the okra/lettuce mix but even without it, although simple, it tastes great.

Okras are said to be a good source of silicone and its mucilagenous properties are very helpful with digestive activites and for people with constipation problems.

Wishing you vibrant health

<I am definately a carboholic>

me too....and you will be happy to know that fruits and veggies are
mostly carbohydrates.

btw, your lunch sounded awesome

This is exactly why I didn't go to the fest this year.
Last year I remember searching for a banana in the hotel gift shop because there was no fresh fruit even to buy at the Raw Festival!

I paid all that money to get in only to spend more buying my own food because I couldn't find anything fresh to eat there!

Right Jami...heh..heh. That's probably why I didn't go this year. Now I love the folks....but at a $300.00 entry fee....where were the crates of apples and fresh produce a plenty? Where was the cornucopia (or just the fresh corn!) Ha! ha! I saw a mainly a lot more t-shirts, crystals and 'products' then I did low-cost abundant natural PRODUCE! Just my rant! LOL.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2008 03:19AM by davidzanemason.

rgh69, you may be inspired by Jenny Silliman's story, she went from a size 20 to size 9: [www.rawvictory.com]

She references Living Nutrition magazine at that site. There was a cool article she wrote about her journey to raw in that magazine, which is now called Vibrance. They've also recently redesigned their website, which is still livingnutrition.com. A snippet of her article appears there.

I agree with those who say you will be naturally drawn to eat more raw
fruits and vegs, the more you eat them. But, don't be in any hurry to go
completely raw. As long as you are concentrating on eating well and as much
raw as you feel comfortable with, you are doing great.

I am not a raw vegan myself, I guess you could say I am "permanently in transition." :-) But I eat well and I am very healthy!

By the way, your lunch salad sounds yummy!

Delphine

hi rgh69

just thought i'd say hello

HULLO!!

and the MOST important ingredient to your knew life is:

1. curiosity
2. enthusiasm
3. FUN!
4. perseverance
5. perseverance
6. FUN!!

Hello everyone, Thanks again for all of the great advice and references. A few have said not to go 100% raw right away. Can you expand on the types of problems to look out for if I did so?

Also, I bought a bunch of fruits/vegetables yesterday and a Juicer! I made juice with apples and carrots. That tastes great! This weekend I will hit Barnes and Nobles and look at some of the books y'all mentioned.

RGH:

-I'm not an advocate of suffering, and transitioning too quickly (in my observation) can cause folks acute mental/emotional/physical stresses. When the initial euphoria of a clean diet wears off, people find that they lack the social and real-world simplicity that allows one to eat 100% raw with no regrets or desires for poor food....and have the freedom and peace of mind....to not feel one is giving up something...but rather gaining something....if that makes any sense. In such a case, it would be better for the person to eat only partially raw, and pig out on the stuff they still crave. Then they would feel like crap...and not crave that stuff anymore! Heh..heh. It sounds like a 'humiliating' method.....and it's not as glamorous as a spectacular overnight shift....but hey....it's breeds some LONG-TERM healthy eaters! LOL.

-Have fun with your juicer dude!

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

I went through some discomfort after going 100% all fresh raw on Aug 1, 07. As DZM said about feeling great and euphoric eating a "clean" diet, I experienced that. I also experience some intermittent discomfort as my body eliminated toxins that it had stored. For example my lips peeled and looked quite unsightly for awhile. I had night sweats for awhile where I woke up soaking wet. I had short periods of diarrhea. Aches and pains from old injuries and problems re-surfaced and then passed. I experienced emotional detox. It was a process that my body did on its own timetable as it took on one problem after another. Once these discomforts passed they have not returned and I feel much better. I wonder if maybe by going slower I might have avoided some or all of the discomfort I experienced on the way to feeling better ? Another problem I had with going all fresh raw - all at once was that after 10 1/2 months of a very clean and pure raw vegan lifestyle I had an emotional upset and found myself craving cooked foods again. I won the inner battle to stay healthy because I did not want to return to my previous condition. But I wonder if a slower transition might have helped me avoid the cooked food cravings ? I suspect that a slower transition might have helped me avoid "hitting the wall" that could have resulted in failing to sustain a healthy all fresh raw vegan lifestyle ? For me "hitting the wall" was way to close to winding up in the SAD condition I was in when i discovered the raw lifestyle and so anything a person can do to avoid "hitting the wall" and staying raw is a good thing. I'm not sure if the slow transition could help avoid "hitting the wall" or not as I didn't go that route. I wonder if the discomforts can be eliminated with a slow transition and still get there ? If so that would be a good thing. I guess part of the question involves how much healing a person needs and how quickly ? If the answer to that question allows time then I think getting started nice and easy and staying the course using a slow transition would probably increase the odds of being a LONG-TERM healthy eater as DZM says in his post above.

Thought that I would give an update. The last 3 days I have been eating nothing but raw fruits, nuts and vegetables for breakfast and lunch. Realistically, breakfast and lunch are an all day nibbling of this and that. I have been eating a regular dinner. Tonight's dinner was the pinnacle of SAD a cheeseburger, fries and diet Coke. Frankly, I felt ill at my stomach. I realize that I have only been doing this a couple of days but I definately feel better during the day while I am eating raw. I am thinking of going 100% raw or perhaps vegetarian for the evening meals. Tomorrow I go on a shopping quest for a dehydrator so I can make some raw breads and crackers for my carboholic fix. Anybody know of a raw friendly store in the Houston area that may have dehydrators? I looked on the net and could not find anything.

Quote

Tomorrow I go on a shopping quest for a dehydrator

I have heard that there are some dehydrators that heat the foods above 118 degrees F. I also have heard that there are adjustable dehydrators out there that allow heating to less then 118 degrees F. I don't dehydrate so I can only relay what I've heard. Possibly someone with a dehydrator could share info about this ?