Hi! I am new to the raw diet and I am new to this site. I am 27 years of age and I have been mostly vegan for about twelve years and completely vegan for about one year. I have started a mostly raw diet many times and I really would like to stick to it because I FEEL SO GOOD. I have no friends who are vegetarian, much less raw vegan. It is really hard to be completely vegan when cooked food smells so good and everyone else is eating it and I love to bake bread. Oh, and of course the fact that it is freezing outside. Hot soup and fresh bread really hit the spot.

Are there any other central MN raw vegans who need a companion to swap recipes with and share a meal together some time?

When you entertain people who do not eat raw vegan, do you cater to their needs or expose them to your way of life?

Also, I have been wondering about B-12 consumption on a 100% raw vegan diet. Do you eat nutritional yeast to get a boost of B-12 and how do you consume it?

Are there any recipes that you would like to share to get a girl started?

Thanks so much.

kj

Hi KJ, I'm not in MN so cannot help you there but there are many good recipes here [goneraw.com]

I haven't had any issues with B12 but I'm not 100% raw, either. Some say that B12 is blown out of proportion.

You can warm your soups and you can re-define your "bread" definition. I've heard great things about the Onion bread that is a variation of Matt Amsden "Rawvolution". Many do not eat wheat on raw b/c it is usually needs to be cooked to taste good and b/c of the gluten.

I still drink hot tea but allow it to cool before I drink it. You have to define to what level you want to be raw.

Good luck. Therese

My favorite recipe is chopped avocados and tomatos, just that. The fatty avocado combined with the tomato gives a better simulation of pizza (fatty cheese and tomato) than dehydrated pizza, (in my opinion of course).

I've been using hottish water to make my green smoothies and they come out like a warm soup! It's kind of hard to find the right temp of water to use since the greens cool the water down so you have to add it a little hotter than you want the finished product to be.

Maybe your local health food store owner would know of a local raw food group or other raw fooders, or maybe he/she is a raw fooder too!

Hi

B12 is a bacteria, and if you have pets (dog,cat), then you probably get enough. Actually, medical science I believe, have not come to a concensus as to at what point serum levels of B12 become deficient.

The discussion section....

The relative impact of a vegetable-rich diet on key markers of health in a cohort of Australian adolescents
Ross Grant, Ayse Bilgin, Carol Zeuschner, Trish Guy, et al. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Southbank: 2008. Vol. 17, Iss. 1; pg. 107, 8 pgs

cheers geo

what is the pet connection? i dont understand?

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Yeah, I'd like a reference for the pet connection.

I take B12.

If you eat nutritional yeast, you are "taking" B12 also, because they have to add it to the yeast. It's not there naturally.

Thanks everyone for the great tips.

I have heard about the onion bread and I would like to try that.
Also the avocados and tomatoes do sound good. It sounds really quick and easy which is not the case with most cookbooks that I have purchased.

The thing that I don't understand about the nutritional yeast is what you do with it on a raw diet. I have eaten it in cooked foods for years like scalloped potatoes and casseroles, but what is done with it on a raw diet. I don't like the idea of taking supplements because most of them are not vegan. Are there recipes in the raw diet that utilize the yeast?

Oh, and I don't have any pets either

Ok, unless you are super sanitised and don't let your dog lick your face, or if you wash your hands and change your cloths after each session with your animal, then you'd be ingesting some of the bacteria with your food.

Here's the link to the info, and this guy also provides references which I've checked out and found legit.

cheers geo

[www.drmcdougall.com]

Hello sunlightoncloudy day,

I feel rather isolated myself here in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I don't know too many others who are raw vegan other then on the web.

Every time I go to Minneapolis I make sure I stop at the Ecopolitan. That's a good raw restaurant. I recommend the Spicy Thai.

And burr, it is cold. I am so much colder than prior to raw, but it's been well worth it.

Prior to 80/10/10 I'd experiment alot with guacamole's. You can find plenty of them by googling raw guac.

Since I cut the fats (well worth it) I'm doing a large salad of romaine, lots of sprouts, celery and peppers. I'll use my food processor on a cucumber, a bunch of stalks of celery, a pepper (red, jalapeno, serrano), and a bunch of roma tomatoes with 2 juiced lemons. Processes that up and pour it over the sprouts lettuce, chopped celery, and pepper.

I like to take recipe's I find and continuously change them to suit my tastes.

david

Dear dvdai:

I have been meaning to try Ecopolitan. I don't get to the cities too much and when I do it is usually a short trip. I understand that they have raw support meetings on certain nights and everything. I really wish I lived closer to the cities.

Thanks for the recipe ideas. I find it interesting that the things that everyone else is eating is so easy to prepare. Here, I have been trying to soak nuts and dehydrate stuff every day. It is kind of exhausting when I am just happy with a raw sandwich of romaine leaves, cucumbers, tomatoes, and sprouts.

I really like the spicy mexican-like food too. I make pico often.

How long have you been off the fats? Prior to this week when I logged on to this site, I understood that our bodies needed fats (and protein) and nuts and avocados were going to be imperative to the diet.

Again, thanks so much for your input.

-kj

I've been off fats for 2 1/2 months now. I have been eating an avocado on average of about 1 a month.

Last winter was really tough on me and I decided this winter I was going to try some different things.

A high percentage of the calories I was taking in were fats, so I was going to try and move away from that to see if I felt any better this winter. I've been basically doing an 80/10/10 lifestyle and its made a remarkable difference in my attitude. I sleep much better as well. Fats are needed, just not as much as advertised.

A couple of downfalls is that I am much colder with the additional loss of weight from going 80/10/10 (about 25 lbs.) and the price of meeting my daily caloric intake is high.

At first it was difficult dropping the fats and would compare it to any other addiction I've quit considering the cravings, but well worth it. The cravings only lasted a couple of days and now I don't consider fats when I go shopping.

I suppose another thing with going 80/10/10 is dropping much of the menu at raw restaurants since much of it is based on fats. I still recommend Ecopolitan though.

I personally don't recommend dehydrated foods. I feel better when I don't eat them. I would say that much more energy is used to digest them. They are a good transition food, though.

I also need to mention that this is what works for ME. There are many ways to test the raw lifestyle and you need to find what works best for you. For me, the more simple I get the better I feel. Dropping spicy foods is the next on my list. I dropped onions a couple of weeks ago and now I don't want them anymore.

Good Luck!

david

Wow, Dvdai:

That is amazing. Do you feel satisfied eating almost exclusively rabbit-like? I have tried to incorporate nuts, seeds, avocados, etc. so that I can feel more complete. I need more variety in my life it seems. Why is it that you have decided to stop eating onions. I don't like onions, but I understand they are good for me so I force myself to eat them.

I am such a cold person. I have lost weight myself and I just freeze. I am so much more at ease with raw foods in the warmer months. Do you drink tea to stay warm or just dress in lots of layers?

Do you get to Minneapolis often?

-kj

i read some time ago that onions mess up red blood cells .. but i cant find the link again .. has anyone else heard/read this? i think it was called heinz anemia or something like that

anyways i dont think you should eat things that dont agree with you or force yourself to eat them

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2009 08:51AM by Jgunn.

I've never felt so satisfied in my life. Being raw is the greatest thing I've ever done for myself.
My dietary WANTS are gradually meeting up with my NEEDS.

Like Jgunn says, don't force yourself to eat anything.
For me, I just stick with what tastes and feels good.

Now, I like the flavor of onions, but they also gave me digested problems. So, I nixed them and hardly miss the flavor. I'm addicted to feeling good. Best addiction ever!

I don't drink teas, but I will heat up water and wear extra clothing.

I haven't been to the cities in a few months. I usually go up for a show at First Ave. I'm about due for a break, though.


It has been an amazing journey for me, but don't forget what you are doing for yourself. Take time to appreciate what you are accomplishing and set your own standards and goals. Trying to compare yourself to others accomplishments can add burden for some and inspiration for others. If the journey becomes to stressful just reflect on where you started. Small steps.


david

david