First I want to say that I absolutely LOVE raw food. I could live on raw vegan food, and cooked food is not as tasty as it was before. With that being said, we've all heard "some food is just mean't to be cooked". Like beans for instance. Cooked beans, prior to going raw, were a staple for me. I'm allergic to soy, gluten and hemp, so it was beans, beans and more beans, the magical fruit! haha!. I've been a vegetarian for about 20 years.

My point is.... aren't we missing out on nutrients if we are so limited to only certain foods that are exceptable in the Vegan Raw Food Lifestyle?.... I mean, I can't have gluten, so I have always used Rice Bran for my b vitimans and my hair was shiney, healthy and thick! I drank goat milk (pasturized, before I saw the light of eating vegan raw food), I ate scrammbled eggs for breakfast, but my diet was always about 75% raw from the beginning, because I always have loved raw food, salads, fresh fruit and veggies, cold pressed olive oil, avocados, raw nuts and seeds,.....

...so now that I gave up the animal protein, rice bran and cooked beans, and went completely raw vegan, and please don't tell me I wasn't "doing it right" I've done the raw food diet everyway that is recommended to see what worked best for me... mostly fruit, then mostly nuts and seeds, then mostly veggies.... I don't miss the other food, and don't even crave them....

BUT.... I've lost 1/2 my hair, I don't look as healthy as I did before, I don't have the energy I had before, and I don't have the "glow" and the shine to my skin and hair that I had before. So how can I say that the cooked rice, rice bran, beans, and eggs were bad for me if I looked and felt healthier than I ever did in my life with those foods in my diet?

I've recently added raw milk, the rice bran, the eggs and cooked beans back into my diet.

I'm sooo sooo disappointed I lost approx 1/2 of my beautiful hair...my son even mentioned that my hair looked so thin and it used to be thick.

I will add though, that now that I'm so used to everything raw, that the cooked eggs and beans don't appeal to me anymore, but I'm looking healthier which is proof in the pudding to me.

I guess for me, and I emphasize for me, that 75% raw is healthier for me than 100% raw, because I'm missing out on nutrients my body needs that are in beans, rice bran and raw milk and cooked eggs. I too believe that some foods are just meant to be cooked.

I also don't see any scientific data that proves that so much fat is healthy, yes I only eat uncooked fats anyways, always did because I only ate cooked egg whites, and low fat 1 % goat milk, and added the cold pressed olive oil after the beans cool.But any diet, I feel, that is limited to only a few foods, cannot be healthy because how in the world can you get all the vital nutrients we need? Like the B vitimans in Rice bran (allegic to gluten) and apparently, my body was getting the protein it needed from the cooked vegetarian food I was eating, hence the thick and beautiful hair I once had.

I'm discouraged today.... any one want to offer any help or suggestions to maybe connect the dots that I feel are missing in the 100% raw diet?

Hey Lil D

Peace with you also!

From my own personal experience, it took awhile to really find the best way for me to eat, all raw...I don't do well on to many oily foods, like avocadoes, and thrive best on mostly vegetables, bit of friut, sunflower seeds...
sometimes on the raw diet as you start out, you go through de tox, and hair loss may be a part of that...otherwise, it is such a radical shift for most people, and there is so much confusing information out there with different 'experts' sometimes totally in disagreement with each other, that really eating properly FOR YOU is a challenge. You gotta do a lot of experimenting. My first two years on 100% fanatically raw, I lived in Key West, and we ran a catering business with all raw food, so I ate tons of everything, including the coconuts, bananas, and other tropical fruit to be found growing there, plus lots of sun and ocean, so I did not lose weight, muscle, or my smile...
later I moved to the north, and then I lost weight, muscle, and had quite a challenge until finally figuring it out for myself again, in a different climate...
so I guess what I am saying is, if you truly feel the best on an all raw diet, then start experimenting with as many different kinds of foods and you care too, get recipe books, and be patient, you will succeed...!

I feel absolutely the best on 100% raw food, and my weight, muscles, hair, shine, and bright eyes are still here!

-a 100 % rawfood diet is not for EVERYONE at this point in their evolution.

-Some people, for example, could experience, severe, possibly fatal detox/adjustment symptoms. sometimes there are [[[many factors]]]

-& sometimes people simply just cant digest all that rawfood (real fiber)! until their digestion is strengthened.

*point is: it is a proccess. getting back in touch with your body, insticts, etc. may take awile, and a 100% raw vegan diet may not be the immediate or final conclusion (in this lifetime anyway)

-that being said, for many (probobly most) of us it is easy, i for one, grew up in a fairly healthy way, and had little trouble jumping into raw-vegetarianism.

Have you tried sprouting legumes? Lentils, chickpeas, whatever...just for some additional protein. I completely understand your concerns - as a very active person I often find that my body craves protein - but protein is present in many different forms. Good luck on your search.

Hi Lil D,

Many men and women lose hair on the raw diet during the initial transition / detox phase, but it every case I've heard of the hair has grown back, healthier and as thick as it was before the hair fell out. My guess is that either way, if you are 75% raw, or you were to continue with 100% raw vegan, your hair will return.

After I transitioned to 100% raw, I was looking very thin and always had dark circles under my eyes. This was because my body was needing a lot of sleep because of my abuses over 12 years of caffeine and overworking myself. Also, the high fat raw vegan diet wasn't working for me, as the salt and spices and condiments I used in my foods were keeping me stimulated, and until I let go of the high fat diet and the condiments, my body wouldn't allow me the get the rest I needed.

When the desire for more rest did come, it came on really strong, in the form of chronic fatigue. What it took was massive amounts of sleep for my body to finally pay back its sleep debt.

As for diet, what ultimately started that healing crisis was a high fruit diet and lots of greens, which I still eat today. After my massive amounts of sleep, my body put on weight, I quit looking so gaunt, and the dark circles disappeared from under my eyes.

While having a healthy low fat diet is an important part of any health regime, it also pays to look at the other components of health, all of which are just as important as diet.

For example, do you use an alarm clock to wake up? If you are tired in the middle of the afternoon, do you allow yourself to nap.

How is the air in your living space. Do you keep the windows open at night? At work, do you get fresh air, or are you breathing air conditioned air?

Do you get an adequate amount of sunlight, as raw vegans need sunlight for their vitamin D, to build healthy bones.

Do you get a reasonable amount of exercise, at least enough so that you are fit?

What is the level of stress that you experience in your work or your day to day life? Are your relationships working for you?

I wrote an article called Success on the raw foods diet.

As for the diet that I follow, check out this set of frequently asked questions.

Thanks to my raw friends here! Bryan, love your article! I am an outdoorsey fitness fan, so I do get out atleast a few times a week for a hike and I work out with weights. I sleep like a baby and don't really have a lot of stress in my life. Romantically I'm in a happy relationship and all else is well, for the most part. I tend to be a little thin, so I'm eating more protein and I've gained some healthy weight.

I know beyond a doubt that raw is the best way to go! For me though, about 90% raw seems to be working better for me personally. I hate washing dishes and cooking, so the closer to 100% raw I get, the better ; )

What's up with the hair loss? What exactly causes this? It seems a severe detox symptom indeed...to the extent that I'm not ready to accept that it is merely a detox symptom. It seems more a symptom of nutrient deficiency, specifically a mineral deficiency.

I'm curious. For those of you who have experienced hair loss on a raw diet were there also any changes in your finger nails or skin?


~Kathleen

Yeah, I wondered myself why you lost so much hair. How long have you been raw again?
I am wondering why I have only lost a little amount of hair, it is thicker than before and I am 2 months on raw. (I went through a major healing crisis 2 weeks ago with a lot of sleep) I do go on fitday to see if I get my minerals and nutrients, it appears that I have been getting all of them very well during the weeks, finally. I am on a high fruit and a lot of greens, low fat diet. Wheat grass has helped a lot! I think eating arugula and other dark greens has helped, too. Those are packed with nutrients the body craves.

So I guess everyone is different like others have said. So I hope for the best for you in your journey for well being. It sounds to me you are doing well with listening to your body and what it needs, and you know your body needs something. I think it is good you are listening to others and to yourself instead of ignoring the fact that some things aren't working for you, and that you are exploring what to do next!

Maybe you could try supplementing with a microalgae or spirulina for your protein needs?

Bryan - just wanted to say "thanks" for those links that you provided. Can't wait to check it all out.

Lots of great info in this thread...thanks everyone!

Kim

I don't believe the 100% raw food diet is perfect for everyone in all cases. The lackluster health of many raw foodists I've seen is testament to that. I think it's an incredible healing diet, as it is VERY cleansing, but I think some people cleanse themselves into weakness. Human genetics are far too diverse to ever think there is one perfect diet.

I'm a total believer in the importance of raw foods, but not of the importance of 100%. If cooked food was really poison, the human race would have died out long ago.

Be careful of the incredible amounts of pseudo-science in the raw food movement. It's very easy to waste one's time on quackery. Listen to your body, not a raw elitist who thinks everyone should eat fruit all the time. Your hair was falling out and you did what needed to be done, and what your body was asking for it sounds like.

(by the way, the idea that hair loss is a "detox symptom" strikes me as ridiculous - after the hair goes, the next organ to weaken is the brain -- trying to detox your way through severe hair loss sounds like a recipe for brain damage)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/2006 05:01PM by Arvydas.

I have a question regarding all of this.....what does eveyrone do for a good source of vitamin D then?

Sunshine!
(and I personally take kelp)

I live in the Midwest, so there isn't too much sunshine available in Winter time. When you say you "take kelp", do you take a pill/vitamin that provides the kelp?

Yes I do take it in capsule form. I also eat dulse, but not sure if there is vitamin D in that.

I know what you mean by a lack of sunshine in the winter time. I live in Wisconsin. But when it comes out, I am out there, and I think that even a little helps. (Even if we are all bundled up)

Have a look at Arnold ehret's books. He talks quite a bit about hair and it's significance and he himself experienced changes in his hair and growth.

Boy, this is scary. I have read what you said about hair loss and the one person said the next thing to go is your brain? I think he is right about pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo out there. The RAW elitest's thinking, that raw food is the only way for anyone interested in it. Maybe there is more that need to be answered here. There is no scientific evidence to back it up,
I'm having problem getting enough protein. I've been taking HEMP protein powder, but I have a feeling it's more like an expensive FIBER LAXATIVE instead of protein. I'm just not getting enough to keep my beautiful muscles. They are vanishing right off my body with my strength. You've obviously been a vagan for many years. Do you have any advice for me?

shep252 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes I do take it in capsule form. I also eat
> dulse, but not sure if there is vitamin D in
> that.
>
> I know what you mean by a lack of sunshine in the
> winter time. I live in Wisconsin. But when it
> comes out, I am out there, and I think that even a
> little helps. (Even if we are all bundled up)

How funny! I grew up in Wisconsin and my family is all still there. I son't live there anymore (moved to be with husband) but we were just there in July. I love Wisconsin.

Cool, Yogamama! Yeah, Wisconsin is the place to be in the summer time (winter on the other hand...) Cool!
Yeah, we live by the Mississippi River.

nedsin,

curious, you said "There is no scientific evidence to back it up"
what, rawfood nutrition?

what is the algea I keep hearing about and how do you buy it? I never saw that at Publix! Also, what is wrong with eggs? I can even down those raw; I love eggs! I don't care a thing about hamburgers and steak though I do like chicken and turkey. Not everyday,but it's good. Can live on veggies if I had to because I like pretty much all of them. But didn't even the caveman eat some meat? I am really enjoying these message boards and you people are beginning to be like a surrogate family! Thanks, Jim

hey Jim

>>didnt caveman eat some meat?

Yeah, cavemen however, are no example to follow! lol (:

Most of us here will recommend a vegan diet, but were here to help ya!

I wouldnt eat eggs, but if you do, I believe it is better to avoid the yolk.

I recommend some raw cheese or milk, honestly. Some people just do better, at least at first, eating raw dairy as well as the other raw foods. Try to make it goat or sheep milk/cheese, though. It's MUCH easier for most people to digest. Cow dairy products are quite acidic compared to goat and sheep.

If you're trying to build and keep muscle weight on, and are having problems with it, I think goat/sheep milk and cheese is a good way to go. At least until your body gets used to raw vegan foods more and learns to metabolize it efficiently.

Since it sounds like your career depends on it, you probably don't want to mess around.

It isn't perfect if you're missing anything. You can use the tools at [www.nutritiondata.com] to see if you are missing any essential fats, amino acids, vitamins, or minerals.

The trouble spots are

B12 (supplement),
D2 (supplement, although mushrooms make it when they are exposed to UV),
omega3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic, (flax, hemp, walnuts, certain fruits and vegetables),
omega6 fatty acid, linoleic, (most vegans get too much), and
possibly zinc.

And some people who complain of feeling run down might just not be getting enough calories. Protein can be an issue on a very high fruit diet that limits everything else. It's usually not an issue on diets that contain a wide variety of plant foods and sufficient calories, though.