Hello everyone. I've recently began considering the raw food way of life, for the obvious benefits eating raw food would have for my health. I've been reading articles, searching the web for recipes, etc...

I was wondering if anyone had any advice or links to sites that would be helpful in my transition. I have been looking for a sort of 'menu plan', something that I can look at and have an idea of the types of things I should be eating on a daily basis. Although I have found a great deal of information, I have found nothing yet pertaining to a list. I'd love to have a list of foods that I should keep in the house, staples, etc..this would really help me to get a handle on what I'm doing.

I was also stressing myself about the sprouting...but saw that in my local health food store, they do sell sprouted seeds to eat. I purchased some sunflower seeds and can't wait to try them in a salad tomorrow.

Thanks in advance for any help!

I don't know why people are so obsessed with diets and cookbooks and recipes and structures.

Trust in YOURSELF to eat when you feel like it. I have never mixed raw fruit/veg, I've always thought it silly. It's only when I came online I saw that eating one fruit at a time is actually biologically far better for you as well. I trusted in myself. You don't have to be too strict about it, by all means eat the grapefruit after a few bananas if you feel like it. You can eat what you want when you want and it's all extremely good for you. It's like Heaven isn't it?

It's how you're evolved to live. You don't have to breathe as you're told is the healthy way do you??? You don't have to go to the toilet only at particular times or you'd do it too much do you??? Of course not. Eating is the EXACT SAME!!!! It's the unnatural processed food/DRUGS that have ruined people. That's why you have all the foolishness about food around.

Just eat whenever you feel like it. Eat your favourite fruit or organic vegetable. If you're tempted to go back on the unnatural sickly "drugs" (as I call them)... then you're just not eating enough fruit/veg! Eat more and you'll still lose weight because they're so small in calories.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2009 01:14AM by SuperInfinity.

Thank you for the quick reply!

I would not say that I am obsessed with diets, cookbooks, and recipes because I am not. Structure however, though not an obsession, is an integral part of my life. As a writer, I am all about detail. This is a rather large transition for me, and in doing so I feel it is essential for me to gather as much information as I possibly could to help ease me along.

Thank you so much for the advice. I will keep that in mind when I find myself craving brownies and opt for a banana instead.

Ahh..you must have been editing your post while I was writing mine. Once again, thank you!

SuperInfinity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't know why people are so obsessed with diets
> and cookbooks and recipes and structures.

That was a bit harsh SI. You may have forgotten the days long ago when you started this lifestyle yourself. People don't KNOW how to get started and need guidance along the way. They don't KNOW just to "trust ourselves" because "ourselves" don't know anything at this point. That's why they are coming HERE for help and guidance.

People need to start SOMEWHERE and once they learn the basics, they will customize their lifestyle to suit their own choices and needs or preferences. But until that point, they NEED "recipes, cookbooks," and other materials to lay down a foundation to get them started. That's how people LEARN.

So, stop being so harsh and remember where people are coming from. Don't discourage them, but instead ENCOURAGE them and offer plenty of useful resources for their reference as they get started learning about this new experience. You and I already know that we can eat very simply and easily to fill our needs, but I didn't realize that in the beginning. I had to learn just like everyboy else, and I learned it by reading blog after blog, cookbook after cookbook, forum after forum, and website after website.

Amarynth - Welcome to the forum and have fun learning just like the rest of us. I'm sure you will find a wealth of helpful materials and suggestions from the members here and on other beneficial websites. I'm still learning too, so we'll learn together. =)

*****************************
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."
—Thomas Jefferson

I just posted this on another sub-forum and realized it might be helpful for you here as well.........

I'm a nurse and work full-time and also own a home business, so my time is stretched. I've discovered the joys of SMOOTHIES. In the mornings, I just blend up whatever fruits, greens, and/or veggies I have on-hand, and drink a quart for breakfast and take a quart for lunch. So simple and easy and satisfying. My typical morning smoothie might be: Grapes, Strawberries, Bananas, Apples, Tomatoes, and Kale or Spinach or Parsley greens. Sometimes it will be peaches, nectarines, blueberries, bananas, apple, and some kind of green. I don't add any water, because the fruit makes its own liquid, but if you prefer a thinner consistency, just add water to your liking.

That keeps me pretty satisfied throughout the day and it's quick and fast to zip-up 2 quick batches (or more, if necessary). If I'm super-hungry in the evening when I get home, I'll make a whopping huge salad with things like: Dark Greens (Spinach, Kale, Romaine, etc.), Onions, Radishes, Carrots, Celery, Tomatoes, Green Sweet Peas, and Avocado. That usually satisfies my need / or craving for something more substantial like an "entree" or crunchy, savory foods.

My grocery time is spent strictly in the produce section (unless I need cat food and litter. *LOL*), and I usually stock-up on whatever is on sale, so my daily in-take will vary. As you venture into the Raw world, you will learn what goes bad quickly, what you like the most, what is quick and easy, and what your favorites are. It's a personal learning process and your ideas will grow as your experience grows.

*****************************
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."
—Thomas Jefferson

Plainlydressed, thank you so much for that advice and the warm welcome. I will definitely give the smoothies a try for my morning meal. I tend not to be very hungry in the mornings, so I think the smoothies will be a great way to stimulate my metabolism, as well as to get a healthful start to my day.

I am so about as busy as you: full time mother of three, full time CNA AND part time nursing student and of course my writing! Making smoothies will certainly make my day a bit less hectic.

Thanks again!

Amarynth,

Welcome! I hope you like it here! This is a discussion from this Forum from last month: [www.rawfoodsupport.com]. Here's another: [www.rawfoodsupport.com]. There are loads more like this from the last few months. When you find a free moment or two, try doing a search in this Forum for "starting out," or "raw food staples," and see what pops up. Good luck!

What? I wasn't trying to be harsh or put her off at all... if anything the exact opposite. Sorry if I came across that way. Many people do find that the stricter the regimen they choose, the less likely they are to stick with it.

I know you didn't mean to sound harsh, SI, and I'm sorry for scolding you. I just didn't want to discourage anyone from getting started any way they know how, and they have to start SOMEWHERE. I agree with you, though. If I had to regiment my diet with the complicated recipes and menu schedules, I'd NEVER stick to it!! The raw diet has easily become the simplest lifestyle I've ever experienced once I got the hang of what my body needs and how SIMPLE it really is. I simply stay stocked-up with the things I like and eat when I'm hungry....easy as pie (err..... RAW pie. *LOL*). =)

*****************************
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."
—Thomas Jefferson

Amarynth,

Hello and welcome. :)

Hi Amarynth

There's an article here on 'Organisation' that might help - it lists the sorts of things I always have in the house.

[www.rawforlife.co.uk]

Best wishes!

Hi Amarynth,

Im new to raw foods as well. I didn't know how to eat at all. It is confusing and I still have lots or questions. The good news is that this web page is great. everyone has helped me and is helping me to save my life. I suffer from IBD.

What I did is start by eating fruits in the morning. Then I looked on this web page for simple recipes that I could make for dinner. Every other day and every day I posted what I was eating and then got advice on my transition. I also asked everyone what they were eating. So like plainlydressed post I just read that and got more ideas. Brilliant!!! I just check everyday to see what these guys do.

For me I did not know how to trust in my self, I didn’t know what to eat and how. Im now learning how to eat and trust myself,(im still working on it).

For me im also dyslexic, When I read books I can get confused and muddled, Its better if I speak to people who have already been there and know. Then when I go back and read the info it makes sense. This is how Im making my transition to raw life, and its working, but that’s just me personally.


SuperInfinity- im new too !! I wouldent be able to understand your post. I would be thinking what is my favouit fruits? I would also be thinking how do I trust my self what does that mean? Where do I start trusting my self? I can now read your post and understand you don’t have to be strict about it, but 3 weeks ago I would be thinking I don’t how not to be strict about it? Where do I start? And the loo statement im not sure I understood either, especially If I was going 20 times a day.? No offence I know You know more than me but I just wanted to let you know where I would go wrong if I read that. I do know You have some great ideas and appreciate your help in my transition.



I hope this helps,

Hellokitty - You're not alone. I'm an educated health professional and STILL get muddled and confused whenever I read stuff from BOOKS. I learn better by hands-on experience and also from the experiences and knowledge of others, especially on forums and discussion groups like this. So you're definitely not alone. There's no WAY I would have known where to even start or jump-in if I didn't communicate with fine folks on this forum and others.

*****************************
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."
—Thomas Jefferson

Good afternoon and thank you everyone for the warm welcome and assistance. I like that simple is best and will definitely strive to keep my eating simple in the beginning, but I also like to experiement with food and recipes so will definitely be looking for some great recipes to try.

I've been raw all of three days now and I woke up this morning feeling actually..pretty good. This morning I made a green smoothie, found the recipe online last night and thought that it sounded delicious. I used banana, apple, romaine and some shredded carrot. (Actually it was leftover salad from last night so I had some red cabbage and sprouts in there as well). Aside from only having one banana, it was delicious! And I'm STILL full!

I'm definitely going to like the smoothies.

Once again thank you all for the help. I'm glad that I found a good, supportive group to interact with.

Good morning everyone!

I have a question, but didn't know if I should start another thread or just keep it to this one. Anyway, I just ate a nice plate of fruit for my breakfast and found I could not finish it all as I filled up quickly. A good thing. I also had some walnuts with it to round things out a bit.

My question is this: In the past I have had a high sugar count in my blood work. I'm not diabetic but my mother is and I think I could very well be if I am not careful. Will the sugar in fruit harm me if I eat a lot of it? I tend to like the fruit better than the vegetables.

Thanks in advance!

Amarynth,

As has been endlessly debated here, fruit will probably not raise your blood glucose levels, provided you do not eat it simultaneously with fats, like nuts, or avocados or whatever. Some people do all right with that, but many people don't. I hope you continue to learn more and more about the way your body can guide through this transition as you go along. Good luck!

The sugar in fruit is the perfect fuel for your body....the excess fat in nuts, oils, seeds, etc. can cause problems, though.

Thank you both! I don't plan on eating too many nuts and seeds, only a small amount to ensure I get what I need. I must say, after my fruit plate this morning, I have been going like I never had before. Five loads of laundry done, floors mopped, dishes done and that's only since about 9am. I'm feeling so much more energetic than when I was filling my body with those bad carbs, junk and cooked food!

That's awesome! I'm feeling great, too, and just polished off 2 lbs. of cherries.

Utopian Life Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The sugar in fruit is the perfect fuel for your
> body....the excess fat in nuts, oils, seeds, etc.
> can cause problems, though.

Agreed, worrying about "sugar" is for fat people who used to eat pizzas and packets of cookies every day. After years of insulin and adrenal abuse (literally hundreds of times the amount of sugar you could possibly get in fruit), they've developed an obsessive hatred of it. Fruit is a perfectly natural thing, I've even heard of people saying to *add* fats to sugars so it takes longer for them to rise in you. That's terrible, the little fluctuations in blood sugar are an extremely good thing for you and your energy/mood. Your fasting blood sugar will be about the same or maybe lower than people on extremely high protein diets.

It's so pathetic and ridiculous that they actually think the tiny amount of sugar in fruit might be bad.... they will have little energy, *never* be in a good mood because they won't have serotonin... their fats and proteins are going to acidify their body and bones and kidneys and destroy them inside out. See the permanent damage that bread/biscuits/pizzas etc. do?

Protein is like a "dirty fuel", as is fat. Your body does not want to use it for energy as they both create toxins and free radicals when used for such. Protein is for "growth and repair". A very small amount of oils/fats such as can be found in fruits can be good for nutrients/lipids. Your body wants nice fast energy, just as we were evolved to have. It is NOTHING like the destruction bread etc. causes and nothing like the amount of sugar either.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2009 04:43PM by SuperInfinity.

David Wolfe Sunfood diet system. He suggests men eat daily, 3.6kg fruit, 1.4kg veg (including plenty greens) and 0.15 kg nuts or seeds. Women a bit less. This is not a transition food plan I think, a guide to see where you're going.
It helped me.
Check out the RawDivas website, they have plans and recipes (some free). Also Ecopolitan had a free 7 day planner, that was for a detox though.
Hope you find what you're looking for.