Hello, everyone

I ate 100% raw last year and due to ignorance, didn't get the proper nutrition. While I lost weight, I also lost hair, and in the end I lost my resolve. My protein levels were very low. I have once again embarked on a raw journey and am almost there, except for my fear of not getting enough protein.Because of that I have not given up Eggbeaters, cottage cheese and yogurt. I know there are opposing opinions about how much protein a person needs and how well a vegan diet satisfies requirements. I don't want to get into that debate; I base my decisions on my personal experience and have made my decision to get more protein. Now all I need to do is learn about the right foods to add to my diet! I am hoping you all can help.

One note: when I eat raw, my appetite seems to almost disappear, so having to eat a lot of food in order to get protein is a challenge. I have since learned about calorie-dense nuts, seeds and legumes. These are helpful, but I would like to add more variety, and to do so in a way that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I want to avoid soy because I have heard too many negative things about it. I'll eat it occasionally, but it'll be a tiny part of my diet.

So- maybe I'm being too particular, but I hope you can give me some practical protein ideas for my raw diet. I'm especially interested in ideas that you actually use yourselves, because real-world experiences are the most valuable, in my opinion,

Gracias!
-Allison

<><><><><><>
Eating raw is a challenge for me, but it's the healthiest lifestyle I know.
See you at Raw Odyssey!
[blog.rawodyssey.com]

Are you sure it was protein you were lacking?

Did you transition too quickly and not allow your body time to stop missing protein? ( I don't know if that is an actual problem, but I had similar troubles with going raw the last time)

Just wondering, because other people think their hair loss is mineral defiency.



Don't conform to somebody's ideal diet. Think about how you feel and what you might need and what other people have discovered EVERY day till you know what you need. Be willing to change your mind whenever necessary as your body's needs change.


(Eggbeaters - that sounds disgusting, but I understand why you want that)

I have been lurking on this site for years and finally registered to respond to this thread.

I have had the same problem... getting enough protein. I know from both my own self-observation and from blood tests. Both confirm that I routinely have low protein levels.

For me, this may be because I have liver and gall bladder damage as a result of a life-threatening and long episode of hepatitis, many years ago. Maybe I just need more protein because my body doesn't break it down or absorb it as easily as other people.

But, the bottom line is that every single time I have veered significantly off the raw/vegan path, it has been to meet my protein needs. My protein needs may be higher than someone else's protein needs.

If anyone has any ideas how I can increase my protein consumption and stay raw, please let me know. I get nauseated when I eat too many nuts; The fat content doesn't go over too well with my gallbladder.

Thanks in advance for any guidance or suggestions.

Lee

I have been reading about bee pollen and it has mass protien in it. I am new at eating raw and I also question the protien and calcium.

I've been lifting weights for years and used to be such a carnivore - I used to do a sort-of Atkins diet but with lots of fruits & vegetables... and PROTEIN.

When I first went raw it was the E3Live Blue-green algae that took away my protein cravings... I'd go to the gym, crave protein afterwards, drink some E3Live, and be instantly better.

Months later, I no longer craved protein after weightlifting... now I crave pineapple. It took me a really long time to let go of my protein mindset... now I think that maybe it wasn't actually protein that my body was craving, but minerals instead. If I drink green juices regularly, then I don't crave protein.

Protein is my weakness, too. Maybe a well-paced transition is the key, and a flexible menu so you can eat more protein when you want.



Sesame has lots of calcium and protein as well as other minerals.

hemp seeds

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

spirulina has protien also.

What has protein but isn't fatty?


Maybe be very careful about combining?

I like sprouted garbanzo beans made into raw hummus. It works great.

I think that hemp protein powder is pretty low in fat. There are a few brands out there that are raw. It's pretty good in fruit smoothies. I think a serving (about 3 tbsps???) has about 12 gr protein.

One problem with it is that the powder has a very strong blue-brown color and might turn your smoothie into a sort of mud brown color (depending on what you put in it). The taste if pretty mild, though.

Tam

here [www.bitterpoison.com] is a good list of some raw foods that contain protein , how much per food, and how much to eat to get 10grams of protein from that food

honestly i would consider it a mineral deficiency somewhere not protein ..and too much can cause excessive calcium excretion ..so once again ..caution in attempting to micromanage your health

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2007 11:41PM by Jgunn.

Jgunn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> here
> [www.bitterpoison.com]
> egan-diet/ is a good list of some raw foods that
> contain protein , how much per food, and how much
> to eat to get 10grams of protein from that food
>
>
> honestly i would consider it a mineral deficiency
> somewhere not protein ..and too much can cause
> excessive calcium excretion ..so once again
> ..caution in attempting to micromanage your health
>

awesome kink!!!!!!!!!thanx
patty

Jgunn, where do you come up with such great quotes?! I love this: If you don't take care of your body, where will you live? !

In addition to all the great suggestions above, there are the sprouted grains, although that option is somewhat controversial. I like sprouted kamut best of what I've tried so far, sprouted with a 1/4 - 1/2 inch tail.

Raw wheat germ might be even more controversial, since it's not a whole food. I eat it occasionally, and it doesn't seem to bother me. I always buy it prepackaged for freshness and keep it in the refrigerator.

Anyone who is sensitive to gluten, would of course want to avoid the glutenous grains.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/2007 06:25AM by suncloud.

haha ! well that one suncloud i saw on the wall of a massage therapy office i visited once

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Jgunn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
..caution in attempting to micromanage your health
>




I second that and I should have been crowned Queen of Health Supplement Mis-micromanagement.

Or maybe crowned Miss-Micromanagement.

I had thousands dollars of supplements and yet never did well.

Thanks for posting about this site:
[www.bitterpoison.com]

I am starting to think that I should use fitday.com for a while.

Why are sprouts controversial?

About blue/green algae and spirulina... don't take this personally, please... but isn't it just pond scum?

[query.nytimes.com]
or
[www.tiny.cc]


Lee

Jgunn, I just took the time to check out your link. I agree with Dewey. It's an awesome link ["kink", Dewey?, hehe]!

It's pretty clear from that link, plus other sites for nutritional information, that it would be difficult NOT to get enough protein even on a raw vegan diet, unless you were really low on calories.

I do remember reading though that some of the vitamins/minerals are helpful or even required in assimilation of protein, so if a person is low on their vitamins/minerals, they might not be ASSIMILATING enough protein, even though they're EATING enough protein.

IMO, consuming enough minerals on a raw vegan diet requires a little more attention. Vitamin E too can be a little difficult.

I agree with Aquadecoco that supplements aren't the answer.

From all the data sources I've read, it seems very well established that all of a person's vitamin and mineral needs can be met with food (not supplements) on a raw vegan diet - except for B12.

Thanks to Fresh, we now know that the WHO (World Health Organization) website is a source to check to see how much of most (though not all) of the nutrients is required daily (if you happen to have faith in scientific research, which some do and some don't). The WHO requirements are generally lower than the USDA requirements. Nutritiondata.com gives the USDA requirements, but if you're going by WHO, nutritiondata.com is still a good site to visit for finding the nutrient content of each food.

suncloud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jgunn, I just took the time to check out your
> link. I agree with Dewey. It's an awesome link
> ["kink", Dewey?, hehe]!

oops LOL
patty