I'm new to the raw life style. A week really and I think it's wonderful but I'm just starting out and don't know anything about sprouting what I can't eat. What I can drink, giving up brewed tea is gonna be hard. Any information that can be givin is most appreicated.
My goal is to get as close to 100% as possible and I understand that I need to ease in but the only why I feel I'll have any success is to go to the extreme. I feel I can stick to it better I know myself to well. though I've just been going for a week I feel great! My skin is brighter and teeth whiter I'm real happy about it. I tried to eat healthy before anyway so I hope I don't get sick from detox.
I didn't eat all that much meat before I started anyway but I love processed food. But I'm trying to go as much organic as possible man it's expense! So I'll buy the high pestcides resistent veggies and fruits at the local stores and get the rare seeds and low pestcides fruits and veggies at a organic food store.
Any tips or warning advice will be helpful thx.

Thank you for your great questions Mandy.

Tip:

-Don't get hung up on the word 'raw'. Think 'fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables'. Anything outside of that (in my opinon) is going to be less vital.....and not as good. If you need/want those items....or they help you to transition...then more power to you.

-Eating well...and healing....CAN be as simple as just eating a greater and greater percentage of fresh, unprocessed fruits & vegetables....for your entire life. No need to worry too much about cleansing.....or enemas.....or colon cleansing....or fasting.....or expensive organic produce.......or expensive blenders. You CAN use these items.....and I think people that CAN support the organic industry should probably do so. But these items are refinements - not entry requirements.

-And there are no raw food police. Eat what YOU have determined through your research to be the highest foods....and commit to that....and I certainly believe you will experience the results that you wish!

-Power and support to you.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

I been doing pretty good with what I eat but I'm curious about some foods and drinks like olives, soy milk, raw fish (sushi) without rice, shrimp.
And does anyone know of a way to dry foods without a dehydrater? And does anyone have any suggestions about a few good foods to get nutrients from?

Thankfully yesterday there was a huge sale at a local organic store 50% off everything! It's because it's merging with another organic store just down the road so it's great I was able to get alot of stuff. Well have a great day everyone.

Unless the olives say raw or unpasteurized they are not raw.

Soy milk is not raw.

Raw fish and shrimp may be raw but are not vegan, so they don't fit into the raw vegan lifestyle.

Here is a good thread on how to dehydrate without a dehydrator [www.rawfoodsupport.com].

Good foods to get nutrients from? Lots of fruits and veggies. Don't concentrate on anyone food, especially one particular leafy green. The Boutenko's thought kale was the perfect food for awhile, for example, until they ran into problems. Here is an article by Victoria Boutenko on why it is important to eat a variety of greens and a list of the greens that her family rotates through [www.rawbc.org].

Hope that helps!

A good rule of thumb might be to look at it this way -
If you have to do "anything" to the food other than pick and eat it you are compromised to a degree. It's up to you to decide where you want to draw the line then. There is no wrong or right actually.

David summed it up perfect I feel:
-Don't get hung up on the word 'raw'. Think 'fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables'. Anything outside of that (in my opinon) is going to be less vital.....and not as good. If you need/want those items....or they help you to transition...then more power to you.

I've been wanting blue berries lately but then I found out they are very difficult to get this time of year. I wonder if it's possible to get some dehydrated ones? I'm not really getting hung up on the word raw. I just use it to decribe food, I think I'll just not bother with any meat of any kind I'll feel much better than just wondering about it all the time.I don't know about others but I need alittle soymilk with my granola I'll work down to less and less I wonder if mixed friut would be good with it.

I love apples and banana's we ran out of banana's the other day I can go though alot I heard that it's best to go get fresh produce about every 2-3 days maybe I should buy alot of banana's I'm watching my nephews this week and they like banana's alot so maybe that's where all the banana's are going to.;D I like strawberries too so I think next week I stock up and make some good smoothies. Have a great day!thx!

Hi Mandy, You may want to try raw almond milk. It's easy to make at home with a blender and a fine mesh bag. I find it lighter and much tastier than soy milk. When I first went raw I felt like I needed some sort of milk-like liquid in my sprouted grains. I made almond milk and that got me through that transition. Now i only eat fruit for breakfast so i haven't felt the need for the nut milk. This was a great transition food for me. I've also heard some nasty things about too much soy in ones diet. I'm sure some of the knowlegable folks on the board have more info on soy.

Greg

Almond milk sounds pretty good. Do you just blend it up and drain with a mesh? I don't care for soy milk to much it taste kinda thick... I found dried blueberries today yeh! I've been wanting some for a while. My uncle has bees and harvest's honey it's the best honey I've ever had! I made a great fruit mix with it take apples banana's grapes cranberries and blueberries and chop up into a big container and add a large Tsp. of honey it's great I like the banana's best but everyone seems to like the gala apples in the honey alot. It's a good for kids my nephews love them and it's better for you than caramel.
Later everyone

I found dried blueberries at this middle-eastern market real close to where I live. I also had them in LA at a natural food store in Los Feliz.

As far as super-nutrient rich foods go, I have experienced a real sense of what exactly is the most useful to my body/system at the moment--I craved onions and garlic big time at first. Then sea-vegetables, then melons all summer. Now I'm so infatuated with apples and pears and carrots. All the time I can go for lettuce and cukes. based on all this, I expect to crave squash and pumpkin very soon, though it hasn't hit yet.

When I worked at a vegan/partially raw restaurant, we made "nut-mylk" from brazil nuts that was so beautifully sweet and nourishing--I wished I could have it now. I do not want soymilk one bit, nor did I ever once I went raw (March this year). We had a super food-processor for making it...too expensive for me (it wasn't the vitamix...I forget what it's called).

I must get to bed now.

ps, I was johnny appleseed for halloween tonight. apropos, no?

measure twice, cut once.

"In Watermelon Sugar the deeds were done and done again as my life is done in watermelon sugar." ~r.brautigan

I make paintings

I've been raw for two weeks now yeah! I've grown quite fond of filbert nuts they are great in a tomato mix. I want to start sproating wheat grass I hear it's good and filling. after seeing that picture now I want watermelon guess I'll have to wait. my uncle just gave me two big jars of honey from his bees yeh! it's perfect for dipping fruit. I think tommorrow I'll try to sprout some almonds. Well good night choa

I found a local market that sells frozen local blueberries and strawberries. I love wheatgrass juice but I dont think it is good to eat the grass we can chew the juice from the grass but should not swallow the grass. It is undigestable fiber. Mandy if you have a blender you can blend up some greens for a green smoothie or a fruit smoothie. those are real good for us and tasty.

Thxs! I got the almonds all set up and ready to go. Went to the store and found blueberries yes! Bought alot of other fruit while I was there. I think I'm craving citrus now I guess you go from craving to craving huh? i think I'll try small batchs of green smoothies at first I don't think I can take it otherwise at least now anyway. Well night choa

Oh no the almonds that I was trying to sprout grew mold on them what went wrong? Well I was going to be alice in wonderland but I couldn't find a costume I liked so I'm going to be a vampire I already had the teeth I think it's funny a vegan vampire haha. My nephews are going to be a pumpkin and Mater (from cars) hahhaha pumpkin and a mater get it? They are so cute and I'm taking them out with my mother for trick or treating later. yeah. We had Mc Donalds last night I was good and had an asian salad it's was great sweet and just the right amount. I'd say I'm 75%-80% raw now yeah! I'm happy, but someone tell me the cravings for cooked food and meat passes. please! It's not so bad at times but others it's worse. Well tata

Hi Mandy, It's my understanding that almonds are more of a "soak" than a sprout. I usually soak them over night in filtered water then rinse and done. If I'm going to store them for a bit, I leave them in a jar covered with filtered water which I change every day. There is great information about sprouting nuts/seeds/beans etc at the sproutpeople website. for the almond mylk I blend one cup of almonds with a quart of water. Usually i'll soak a few dates and part of a vanilla bean in one cup of the water and add that to the mix. You can use cheese-cloth to strain the mixture, but i prefer the nut-mylk bags available on-line. i'm not sure about other nut mylks, but the almond mylk only keeps for about 2 days so don't make more than you will use in that time or it could go to waste.
Also, in my opinion,it would help your cravings to not even walk into a place like MacDonalds. For me, if i'm working on changing my behavior/thought patterns, it is always helpful to also change my surroundings/environment. Find all the healthfood stores and cafes in your area... find places that healthy people congregate and frequent those places. For me,the energy of my surroundings always seems contageous... good or bad... Trying to transition to health/raw and frequenting the death-food purveyors just envelopes you in a very unhealthy environment that is purposely bombarding you with messages that are contrary to your goals. Not to mention that the "salads" at McDonalds or any other fast-food place, while obviously a better choice than anything else on the menu,are not nearly as tastey and nutritious as a fresh salad. And I wonder if their dressings are loaded with artificial ingredients. Just my opinion. I definately don't want to belittle your choice of the asian salad, because that is a great first step and we all have to start somewhere. keep making little steps every day and soon you'll notice how far you've gone.

good luck

Well the thing I've done with the salads I eat I don't eat dressing on them but I do add a lot of seeds and nuts to make up the flavor I enjoy them alot. I got some raw peanuts the other day it's like the perfect snake food. I'm not sure if I'll try to soak any almonds again for awhile. Oh well 'keep moving forward' tomatoes are pretty good but I like home grown better than store bought nothing better than a sun warm tomato right of the vein to bad it's to cold to grow them any more. well ta.

Whats a good subitute for chocolate? I've thinking of some things I could try but I'm just sure. 3 weeks raw yeah me! I've been cleaning and singing what am I Cinderella?haha looking forward to having the house to myself next week need some me time without having to pick up the house every 3 minutes. My avocados are finally ripe they hurt my teeth before. well chao

tired this morning but it's my own fault I stayed up late and had to get up with my nephews who are early risers.I made a portabella pizza last night with sunflower seeds and soynuts and tomatoes miced up together in a srapped out portobello. it was real good my mother didn't like it and it went to waste I don't like that. Put alotof stuff in a salad yesterday it was good to used up the last of the mushrooms which is a good thing cause I hate to leave food to waste well gotta go get some breakfast thinking granola and almonds. choa

Ended up not visiting my grandparents this week. Got a new yoga video I'll try it tomorrow love the smoothies that I made today banana's orange juice almonds flax seed meal, and of course blueberries. Has anyone ever heard of geocacheing? Thats what I did today it's a great way to explore the place that you live you'd be surprised at where you can find them. I hear spinach is good to eat or any dark leafy greens I just got some spinach springmix I plan to make raw spinach balls. I like being creative. I suppose that's a good thing unless you like to eat the same thing over and over. Went to a bulk food store and found a dried veggies chips flax seeds and lots of other things including raw sugar. I think I'll fesh up I ate a cheese burger at McD's I think it's probably a good idea that I just stay away from those places and just pack something. I feel bad about having ate it but worse about enjoying it so much.WAH! I need some incouragement. choa I guess

I'm just going to do what a friend suggested like people do at work place with accidents like 10 days accident free I'm going to do that 2 days meat free. I will stick to it. I've been eating alot more greens and mixing it up so I don't get bored. luck choa

I hear that you can make nut milk out of just any nut is that true? My mother told me that banana'a are high in fat? when the best time to take flax seed? well choa

I'm back here and I'm commited to being fully raw. I made a raw strawberrie shortcake and salad for thanksgiving and everyone loved them I was happy. I made the cake crust out of brazillan nuts I think next time I use almonds. What is the best nut to use in something like that? choa