I am not a picky eater at all, BUT I don't like olives or avocados! Not so good for a raw food eater! Should I add some "good" oil to my green juice everyday? Eat coconut? I guess I could eat a sufficient quantity of raw salad dressing everyday?

If you are eating enough raw foods (say fruits and vegetables) to meet your energy needs, you will be eating enough fats to meed the fat needs of your body.

The only potential problem is if you eat a lot of nuts and seeds and fatty foods, you can get either too much fat, or you can get an unbalanced amount of omega 6 fatty acid. However, if are not eating the overtly fatty foods, then you don't have to worry about the fatty acid imbalance issue.

Definitely you don't need or really want to take oil, as it is a processed foods and far inferior to whole foods as a source of fats.

Molli, I think that over time you will begin to develop a taste for avocado. Meanwhile, you might try some different raw nuts and seeds and see how you like them. Try not to overeat nuts and seeds. You will usually know when you have overeaten them, because you won't feel good afterwards! I don't think olives are necessary at all. They're usually not available fresh/raw.

I agree with Bryan that added oils are not necessary.

Molli Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am not a picky eater at all, BUT I don't like
> olives or avocados! Not so good for a raw food
> eater! Should I add some "good" oil to my green
> juice everyday? Eat coconut? I guess I could eat
> a sufficient quantity of raw salad dressing
> everyday?


Joel Fuhrman in "Eat to Live" recommends 1 tablespoon of flaxseed for Omega 3s which are much harder to get than Omega 6s. In addition to flaxseed, good other sources of short-chain Omega 3s (i.e. alpha-linolenic acid) include purslane (a green), walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and perilla seeds. Note: short-chain omega 3s can be converted by the body into long chain omega 3s (e.g. EPA, DHA) comparable to what you find in fish oil. That is provided you diet doesn't include too much omega 6. Apparently omega 6 and omega 3 oils use the same bonding or receptor sites in the body for absorption. The ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 should be no more than 4 to 1. An option is to include an algae based vegan omega 3 DHA supplement. I take one as nutritional insurance.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/2009 09:36PM by pborst.

Thanks for your responses. You people are so helpful on this site. I've read some posts where people have listed their juice and/or smoothie ingredients and noticed that some people add some sort of oil, etc. I'm not judging them, but it just grosses me out to think that I would add oil to my juice drink! I'm glad I don't need to do that! I am not eating many nuts and seeds. Maybe a handful of soaked almonds throughout the day and I am sprouting some seeds and adding about 1/4 cup to a salad at lunchtime. I can cut down on that if its too much -- I add them because I read that sprouted seeds contain protein and ... well ... since I'm new to raw I'm still a little hung up on making sure I get enough protein LOL I know ... if I eat plenty of fruits and veggies it will take care of my protein needs. I know that at some level, but I'm still wanting to eat those sprouts to make sure! I'm sure I'll get over this stupid idea of mine eventually!

suncloud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Molli, I think that over time you will begin to
> develop a taste for avocado. Meanwhile, you might
> try some different raw nuts and seeds and see how
> you like them. Try not to overeat nuts and seeds.
> You will usually know when you have overeaten
> them, because you won't feel good afterwards! I
> don't think olives are necessary at all. They're
> usually not available fresh/raw.
>
> I agree with Bryan that added oils are not
> necessary.

I've thought about making a smoothie now and then (right now I am only juicing or eating fruit and veggies in their pure raw state) and adding some avocado. Someone told me to squirt a little lemon on avocado and maybe I'd like it that way. I might try that -- I do like to add lemon to my green juice drink. I like that tart taste.

pborst Wrote:
>
>
> Joel Fuhrman in "Eat to Live" recommends 1
> tablespoon of flaxseed for Omega 3s which are much
> harder to get than Omega 6s. In addition to
> flaxseed, good other sources of short-chain Omega
> 3s (i.e. alpha-linolenic acid) include purslane (a
> green), walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and
> perilla seeds. Note: short-chain omega 3s can
> be converted by the body into long chain omega 3s
> (e.g. EPA, DHA) comparable to what you find in
> fish oil. That is provided you diet doesn't
> include too much omega 6. Apparently omega 6 and
> omega 3 oils use the same bonding or receptor
> sites in the body for absorption. The ratio of
> omega 6 to omega 3 should be no more than 4 to 1.
> An option is to include an algae based vegan
> omega 3 DHA supplement. I take one as nutritional
> insurance.

On the flaxseed, is it true that you need to eat it ground? I read that somewhere. I did purchase some ground flaxseed and when I think about it I sprinkle some in my salad that I usually eat for lunch.

i would throw it out and buy some whole flax seeds personally. flax is extremely sensitive and must be fresh ground right before consuming for it to be beneficial. i will go so far as to say that already ground flax may very well be rancid or heading in that direction. and yes, if it's not ground most of it will pass through the digestive system unchanged. that's how nature plants a lot of things, in a lovely compost of manure .

At the beginning of raw, having 1-2 meals with fat is good. Later your body won't require as much and some can go without it for a day or more. Hemp butter is my new favorite. Protein and fat in one and tastes good. Avocado works well in recipes if you don't like it. I use it a lot in soups.

Simple Raw Recipes & Health Tips

Molli,

I agree with Coco. Freshly ground flax seed in a coffee grinder is much better for you than pre-ground flax which oxidizes easily. Buy the whole flax seed (which should be cheaper) and grind it as you go. I do 1 tablespoon in my morning smoothie.

Paul