Unfortunately for the past few days or week, 100% raw seems to actually be in the minority. I'm eating (healthy) cereal late at night and peanuts all the time. :/

I'm even getting a hankering for peanuts now. I think I'll stick with the peanuts for now, just quit the cereals. The peanuts are to give me energy and as well to help me afford it, because spending about $25+ a day on food alone is a bit ridiculous...

The great thing is that I haven't fallen for the really bad foods for a VERY long time. I just don't see any reason to eat them... they are just addictions and that's the end of it. They don't offer better taste or sensation or psychological lift or anything at all, they're just very addictive substances.

*hops back on the wagon* It's AMAZING how addicted you can get to things like chilli peanuts or even cereal. I guess in a way it's natural and protective: the human says he wants that food no matter what. However... as we all know, the the foods are unnatural, the body is unfortunately completely fooled. I'm keeping my fingers crossed about peanuts and the salt, vegetable oil etc. that they contain.

SuperInfinity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ..I think I'll stick with the peanuts for now, just
> quit the cereals. The peanuts are to give me
> energy and as well to help me afford it, because
> spending about $25+ a day on food alone is a bit
> ridiculous...
Think about how those Peanuts have to work through
your Body, and then be eliminated.....also the other cooked
foods. Now think how regular and healthy your body will get
on a Raw Vegan Diet......Case Closed.....WY

Sometimes putting limitations on yourself can be more damaging than good. A person is more likely to crave something if he knows it is off limits, that is human nature. Try to encourage yourself with positive thinking and constructive self-talk rather than thinking of what foods will make you a "failure" if you eat them. It can be hard, I know, especially with financial burden, but you can make it work.

My personal experiance with relapses is that if you don't get too hard on yourself about a relapse, it is much easier to recover and continue to progresss. This is opposed to taking it really seriosly, in which cases more negative results are likely, such as binging, depressed mood, and a longer time before getting back to all raw.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2009 06:17PM by eecho.

SuperI,,

I think I've mentioned this elsewhere, but you really need to sit down and have a good think about why you are so obssessed with peanuts. I don't think it's the peanuts, per se, and if it is there must be a chemical reason, because it is a particular craving for you. Good luck.

......maybe re-read your responses to other people about what things are good to eat and what things are damaging.....and follow your own advice without excuses or putting things on a scale of least bad, etc.

Going off what Tamukha said, it might be good to figure out your cravings. Like, there are psychological reasons other than taste and texture. Perhaps certain memories of eating them growing up, etc. Sometimes this simple understanding will help curb and addiction and give a greater sense of control.

SuperInfinity,

Could you substitute truly raw peanuts ?

Raw peanuts are toxic I believe (being a legume, not really a nut). I don't believe one can eat them raw. Even when bought in the shell, I think they are roasted.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2009 07:23PM by eecho.

Superinfinity,

Given our interaction, I'm no fan. But putting our past aside. Aflatoxins have to be a consideration here. Basic human decency requires me to state the obvious. Peanuts, raw peanuts aren't necessarily toxic because they are raw but if they are in spite or. If you choose to eat that many peanuts, please make sure you wash them ahead of time. Aflatoxins are among the most potent of all cancer promoters. Nothing to fool around with. This is going to sound strange coming from me to you. [en.wikipedia.org] [ []]But, please protect yourself.

Paul



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2009 08:06PM by pborst.

eecho Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Raw peanuts are toxic I believe (being a legume,
> not really a nut). I don't believe one can eat
> them raw. Even when bought in the shell, I think
> they are roasted.

No eecho you're not right and I tried to explained it to you before. The peanuts in the shell are 100% raw, maybe they are heated a TINY bit, I don't know. I've seen monkeys pick and eat the peanuts in the wild on youtube. The only roasted peanuts are the ones that it says "roasted" on them. Sorry eecho, but saying that raw peanuts are actually roasted is COMPLETE NONSENSE, and it probably stems from the fact that in America raw peanuts are a lot less common, in europe practically all nuts are raw. Non-raw ones are in the small minority (Remarkably, some of the "roasted peanuts" in europe aren't roasted at all, they're raw peanuts with flavourings, but that's neither here nor there).

For the last time: raw peanuts are NOT TOXIC, at least inherently in the wild. They couldn't be. There's nothing in the wild that tastes good, feels good afterwards... and yet is toxic, it just doesn't exist. It goes against all principles of nature. Please don't talk to me about peanuts being toxic again, if you wish you can tell others but not me.

pborst Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Superinfinity,
>
> Given our interaction, I'm no fan. But putting
> our past aside. Aflatoxins have to be a
> consideration here. Basic human decency requires
> me to state the obvious. Peanuts, raw peanuts
> aren't necessarily toxic because they are raw but
> if they are in spite or. If you choose to eat
> that many peanuts, please make sure you wash them
> ahead of time. Aflatoxins are among the most
> potent of all cancer promoters. Nothing to fool
> around with. This is going to sound strange
> coming from me to you.
> [en.wikipedia.org]
> [en.wikipedia.org]
> sBut, please protect yourself.
>
> Paul

pborst, thanks for that, I'll look into it. Do you mean I should wash even the ones that are out of their shells and also what about ones packaged with vegetables oil and salt? (of course I had been trying to avoid the latter... and the chilli flavoured ones).

I don't read too much into past differences or quibbles, after all both of us (and just about everyone here) know and eat better than the vast majority of people. Oddly enough peanuts contain a lot of protein and fat so consuming them instead of high fructose foods would according to you be better... the aflatoxins do sound dangerous though.

I'm an all-raw peanut eater, and they don't hurt me at all (unless, of course, I eat too much, and then they hurt me only a little!). I never eat salted or roasted peanuts; I never eat peanut butter - raw or otherwise.

The raw "Jungle Peanuts" in the package are certified by USDA-approved labs as aflatoxin-free; and like other peanuts, they're easy to grow. Peanuts shells make very good high-nitrogen fertilizer, for those who object to fertilizing with animal manure.

According to Dr. Colin Campbell, author of "The China Study", aflatoxin is a carcinogen, and one of the worst. However, aflatoxin is not a cancer promoter. Numerous studies have shown that when aflatoxin is consumed by animals (including humans) who also consume a high meat protein diet, they get liver cancer. But when aflatoxin is consumed by animals (including humans) who do not consume meat protein, they don't get liver cancer. Thus, the carcinogen (in this case aflatoxin) has a very small, if any, influence on causing cancer, but the promoter (the consumed meat protein) has a very strong influence on causing cancer!

I usually don't eat more than a handful of peanuts a day, and I don't eat them everyday. Sometimes I don't eat them for weeks. Sometimes I eat more than a handful. I've eaten as many as 5 handfuls in a day, but that's too much.

I usually only eat more than I think I need if I've been trying to hold back for too long, and then I caaaavvvvve, and eat too many. I find it's better to eat a few of some kind of RAW nuts or seeds everyday. If I do that, and if I vary the kind of nut/seed consumed, then I can almost always keep the quantity at a very manageable level. And when I do caaaavvvvve and eat too many, it's not so bad. Sometimes, I even lose a little weight after a day like that. Could be that my body was simply prompting me to eat a little more to make up for energy expended.

I think a very moderate amount of nuts/seeds - including peanuts - are very good for me.

If I didn't eat them, at my level of activity, I'd melt away or have to stop moving, and just stay at the computer all day. And then I'd still be hungry and obsessing about food. I hate that feeling! As it is, I eat a whole lot of fruit, I eat nuts and seeds, and I eat veggies, everything raw - and I weigh less than 90 pounds (I'm 5'1". Yes I do eat a lot of fruit too, including lots of bananas everday - that I grow myself! (after all I love fruit so much that I have somewhere around 1000 fruit trees, planted by my husband and myself, that are now nearly all yielding delicious varieties of fruits. And we're still planting!)

My husband is the wisest man I know. Sometimes I will say to him, "I'm so hungry!" Invariably, he says to me, "There's a cure for that ya know!" Yes, there's a cure for being hungry! Eat RAW food! Eat the RAW food that satisfies the craving that you have. Don't fight it so hard (unless you're on some very temporary fast). And make sure and Get Your EXERCISE! so you can digest your food properly.

I believe that a body that is used to getting everything it needs from a raw food diet will not crave salt.

Practice, and satisfaction. And Exercise! Very simple. Our bodies know more than we think!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2009 10:40PM by suncloud.

suncloud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Numerous studies have shown that when
> aflatoxin is consumed by animals (including
> humans) who also consume a high meat protein diet,
> they get liver cancer. But when aflatoxin is
> consumed by animals (including humans) who do not
> consume meat protein, they don't get liver cancer.
> Thus, the carcinogen (in this case aflatoxin) has
> a very small, if any, influence on causing cancer,
> but the promoter (the consumed meat protein) has a
> very strong influence on causing cancer!
>

That's reassuring to know. It's good to hear that other parts of the diet can balance up the aflatoxin risk to a substantial degree.

Can I play Devil's Advocate with you here for a second though? Just because it minimizes the risk hugely doesn't mean it goes away. Let's take an extreme case of smoking. Now let's say you were perfectly raw but you smoked, but then you pointed to a study showing that people who are raw vegan and smoked and exercised had an extremely low incidence of lung cancer and breathing problems, in fact it was almost the same as the average person. Would it be okay to smoke then? No it wouldn't... it would be throwing away a lot of the benefits of your lifestyle.

Now keep in mind that's an EXTREME example to get the point across. Some peanuts now and again isn't going to hurt much, it's taking a lot every day might range from even better to a terrible mistake. Great as The China Study is, I think it misrepresents much of its information and puts a spin on it, which is a pity because it has no need to to prove its points.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2009 10:53PM by SuperInfinity.

Yes Superinfinity, an extreme example, but I get your point.

In my opinion, I believe that a moderate amount of raw, unsalted peanuts can be nutritious and satisfying - but I always eat the "jungle peanuts" that are aflatoxin-free anyway. Why push it? Good point.

I haven't read the entire China Study yet, but from what I've read, there is no attempt whatsoever at spin in the form of any inaccuracy. Dr. Campbell is my new hero, because he seems only interested in finding and reporting the truth.

There are numerous very conclusive studies on the effects of consuming aflatoxin, performed not just by Dr. Campbell, but by several other researchers as well.

Superinfinity, I'm guessing that you haven't yet read "The China Study" or you would surely have been aware of the aflatoxin studies. If you do read it, I think you will really like it!

Don't beat yourself up about the past. The past is past and the future isn't here yet. Just focus on what you are doing now. Or, at least that's my thought on things. If I've already eaten something I shouldn't (today it was bread because we were out of fresh fruits and veggies), I try to acknowledge and let go, so that I can begin again. Good luck with the cravings. They can be hard!

Good attitude, sixxmum!