Hi everyone: I've been reading a bit about alkaline foods as they pertain to eating a raw diet. I happen to have a fairly rare auto-immune condition called Urticaria Pigmentosa which basically means that I easily break out from itching/hives from certain triggers, for me being heat, high carb foods/sugar etc...

The idea of eating alkaline foods seems like it fits in with what I need and this has brought me back to discovering raw foods.

My questions are:

1. I really can't eat most fruits as it makes me gassy, and can cause me to itch. Can I do a mainly raw diet with little in the way of fruit (berries I'm fine with since they are low glycemic).

2. Will I automatically loose weight eating a mainly raw diet or is sticking to alkaline foods and important part of the weight loss process? I'm a 38yo guy, somewhat inactive.

3. Any resources regarding raw diet/weight loss or alkalinity/weight loss would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your help,
Ryan

Hi Ryan, A great book on pH is "The pH Miracle Diet" by Robert Young. Also great is the "Mucusless Diet Healing System" by Arnold Ehret. While neither is totally raw, they both address acidity and pH. There are only two points that I disagree with Dr. Young on, he eschews all sweet fruits and embraces soy. I believe that sweet fruit is beneficial but stay away from what causes you reactions. I also have read that soy can be harmful due to its pseudo-estrogen.

1. Yes: Eat alot of greens, nuts/seeds, chick peas, non-sweet fruits like tomatoes, zucchini, etc. (I'm assuming here that you were referring only to sweet fruits above.)

2. You may lose some weight but you may also gain depending on how many calories you burn vs. what you eat. Diets higher in nuts/seeds and fat content allow for a denser diet but can lead to weight gain. If you want an athlete's body, you will have to work at it like they do. Sorry.

3. See above book recommendations. Also, "Eat to Live" by Joel Fuhrman is good, too. It is what convinced me that animal protein in the way of meat was not healthy for me due its lack of fiber and high acidity. You can get free raw vegan recipes online. Do a search and you will find lots.

You might look into a Liver flush/cleanse, too. I have heard that this eliminates many allergies. Another phenomenal book is Hulda Clark's "The cure for all diseases."

Good luck. Therese

the whole PH thing is blown out of proportion and misunderstood, your body maintains a narror PH at best of times.

but raw will help you loose weight most likely.

Hey Ryan, I have something similar to you too. I feel your pain!

Are you self-diagnosed? I have salicylate sensitivity (which incl. anaphalactic shock from aspirin & paracetamol).

Unripe fruits have high levels of salicylate, whereas nice ripe fruits aren't a problem, so the 'allergy' isn't as black and white as it seems.

Importantly, working out what food you're actually sensitive to is difficult as the danger from products is just as bad. Check your bathroom and kitchen for products containing harsh chemicals and preservatives such as sodium benzoate. Nothing worse than keeping a food diary only for it to be useless because you used a handsoap that made your allergies come up.

If you're not raw at the moment, at the very least become an avid label reader and cut out e-numbers.