i am new to the raw food diet. i was doing the master cleanse because i really understood the whole raw food idea and how we are destroying our bodies and health and everything made sense to me!!!

but now im reading that after years of being 100% raw people are losing hair, their hair is turning grey, teeth issues because of the sugar in fruit, and lots of other stuff..

im so confused!!! its like everytime someone says something good about fruits or veggies or raw live food someone else disputes the claim! these messageboards are the cause of all this pain and misinformation, i think people should really think what they post because it impacts people!


this is my theory (and its probably not true because im not smart or anything but it makes sense to me)

yes, fruits and veggies are good for us and should be our only source of food, it makes sense, earth's food dont kill animals, but in OUR TIME, this day and age, fruits and veggies AREN"T good because of the pesticides and other stuff..

so my theory is that yes, fruits and veggies were good but not in the state they are in now because in our day and age it just isn't good for us because of the pesticides..

can someone help me out because im confused about everything and its like WTF!?!?!? i TOTALLY loved how people said after going raw their eye color changed and stuff like that it was amazing to me, but now this info about people not succeeding longterm its just all too confusing and unfair to be misinformed..

what are you thoughts? and sorry if i came across as rude i never mean to be

You still need to pay attention to your requirements:

calories (many people fail to get enough on raw diets)
essential amino acids (proteins)
essential fatty acids
vitamins (many vegans fail to supplement with b12, which is a mistake in the long run).
minerals
fiber.

If fail to meet your requirements, you will eventually have problems, even on raw, and some raw diets are so restrictive that it will be almost impossible to meet requirements.

You can track how well your diet satisfies your requirements at [www.nutritiondata.com].

It is not glam, no promises of miracles or eye color change etc. But it is a good and prudent thing to do.

Hey confused. I would get info from as many sources as possible and then decided for yourself. Take some suppliments if concerned.

If it definitely possible to do well as a raw vegan or vegetarian, you just have to figure out what works the best for your constitution.

Best of luck!

Dear Confuzed,
I can only say that for the past three years I have been very ill (extreme fatigue, brain fog... the list goes on and on... I really felt like I was dead but still walking around in a body--just lifeless) but since going on the raw foods diet (almost 6 months now!) my life energy is starting to return and I feel hopeful that I may be able to recover fully in time. It has been confusing, at times, sifting through all the different opinions and theories, but I just keep experimenting with different foods and keep what feels right. At this stage I am mostly eating fruits, some greens (in the form of green smoothies, sometimes salads), a minimal amount of soaked seeds and nuts, and seaweed. I have found that the food combining rules are very important to follow for optimal success.
Good luck with your journey (wish I had started RAW when I was younger, but better late than never) It is confusing but I really believe, from experience, that any Live RAW Food is better for your health than cooked and processed.
Best,
Mark

My experience:

-I have been all-raw for many years - and all fruit for a couple now. I am the healthiest and happiest fellow I know! Ha! ha!

-You don't see 99% of people...and what they are doing. Failures make big news......while successes go on quietly doing what they are doing.....and not making headlines.....because successful and peaceful people are those that view success / peace / abundance as being normal. Normal doesn't make it into the headlines! LOL.

-They say the best thing you can do in your life - is have a friendly relationship with the world. Those that essentially view the world as a friendly supporter eventually succeed. Those that view the world as a hostile place that needs to conquered - will themselves be conquered.

-Just some opinions for consideration.

-David Mason

davidzanemason Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Those that essentially view the world as a
> friendly supporter eventually succeed. Those that
> view the world as a hostile place that needs to
> conquered - will themselves be conquered.
>

Oh that is good - so true I think!

"a friendly relationship with the world" - I Love It! Thanks, David! I needed that today!

Life Is Good!

alive!

I studied the pesticide question long ago and found out that by eating low on the food chain you get less pesticides. Eating animal products will give you SEVERAL TIMES the amount of pesticides compared to eating produce because the animals absorb the pesticides they eat.

plus as long as i buy organic (im only going to buy organic fruits) the pesticide residues are low or nonexistant right? thanks for all of the answers everyone here is so nice and friendly and inspiring!

Pestices are NOT the problem. Here is a good article on that [www.davekopel.com]
It is not enough to be raw, you have to follow certain rules.
I am on raw food diet and very very healthy but I do not buy organic, it is a waste of money. To me the food must be living just before I eat it. Food sitting in food store for many weeks has lost most of the nutrients even if it is organic, I prefer non organic but fresh raw so I rely mostly on home grown sprouts and greens such as sunflower and buckweat greens. It is the vitality, the life force in the food that is important, just look at the animals in the wild, they get their nutrients from eating living food from growing plants or other living animals



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2006 12:50PM by djatchi.

i dont think i can go that far yet ^^^ im going to get the majority of my organic fruits at farmers markets so they are probably more fresh than whole foods's stores selection lol.

but this is a good start right? im sorry i just cant jump straight into growing my own

This is a tough or should I say touchy subject because most people either ignore or deny some of the complications that can arise from eating and living a rawfoods lifestyle.

A rawfoodists for almost 7 (I began April 6th, 2000) years. No cheating, no falling off the bandwagon, no bread, no meat (it's actually been 16 years since), no processed foods (Not even sampling of SAD foods or even foods proclaimed as healthy like Tofu/Soy/Rice/Etc....),
just straight home-grown/local first, wild & or organic second, of fruits, veggies & fats for 6 almost 7 years and
THERE IS/ARE UPS-&-DOWNS.


Why Vegan?
Because I have the most love and admiration for all animals of the earth!!!
a rawvegan hopeful, rawdev4life!!!

I to am new to this way of eating. What I can tell you is this. I am 39 years old. Last year I had breast cancer. I do not have cancer any longer. I am from the South. So we ate ALL the wrong foods.

I have researched and can tell you that balance is important. I know what made me ill. So I will stop with old habits of how to eat. I am educating myself and learning. I would advise you do the same. It sounds like you have.

Raw and whole foods are VERY good for you. People with cancer have recovered on such a diet. But do you think Burger King could do the same?

I'm from the south also -- I think we eat a lot of good foods it's just how they are prepared. My beloved and I prefer fresh, healthy foods, but we both come from backgrounds where we remember grandmothers saying at the begining of every recipie...."now first you take a dollop of bacon grease". It seemed like anything from green beans to sugar cookies somehow began that way! And it was always kept in a Crisco can on the back of the stove. HA!

I've been poultry & pork free for 15 months so there are possibilities for us rebels changing our ways!

~raine~

raine

<<remember grandmothers saying at the begining of every recipie...."now first you take a dollop of bacon grease". >>

that is soooo HILARIOUS!! that just blew me right into the ocean!
i was laughing my head off!!

hey confuzed

don't be confused anymore
its all okay
you don't have to be perfect
nor do you need to be scared away by people who've entered a dark place
even they
they are learning too
and what they go through may be temporary
and something needs to disintegrate
before it flourishes
its all good

don't be sad
that some people may not seem to do so well
even they
they have seen the light many many times
its just another tunnel they must go through right now
to see the light again
and they will
if they believe they can
and are willing to give themselves another chance

davey says to have a friendly vision
of the world
this is true
so true
that it is the main dish on the plate
that must be consumed
over and over again
til it becomes natural
like drinking water
or breathing the air

for that is our true diet
to love the world
and ourselves along with it
and when that happens
the fruits that are bad will suddenly
become good
and the veggies that were suspect
will become as innocuous as angels

Thank you la-ver, for lighting up my world today! I'm going to pour another glass of lemonade, go back outside into the sun with my little dog Flo-Jo and enjoy some more of "the main dish on the plate". My priority will be to just vibrate with love! That will keep me healthier than perfect food or a clean house (housework makes you ugly and I'm feelin' mighty pretty lately!).

Thanks for the reminder!



Life Is Good!

alive!

ha ha alive!!
housework shore iszzzz ugggglieeeeee!
me no like scrubbing the tiles either much
nature is cool
there is no "cleaning"
cuz the dirt is alive

There truly is differences in the raw-lifestyle.
Some say fruits (Douglas Grahams), some say Greens (Victoria Bountenko), some say balance (Gabriel Cousins, Stephen Arlin, David Jubbs, Rose Calabro,
Tonya Zavasta), some say superfoods (David Wolfe, Shazzie). some don't know what to say anymore (Federic Patenaude, Paul Nison).

Follow the heart and find what's best for you.


Why Vegan?
Because I have the most love and admiration for all animals of the earth!!!
a rawvegan hopeful, rawdev4life!!!

Some say sprouts and indoor greens

some say potato
some say potaahhtoe

some say tomato
some say tohmahhhtoee