I am using these to combat my sugar cravings - however, there MUST be something better for me than these. I know that they are not raw and there sugar levels are probably not helping my desire for sugar. Any thoughts?

Inner Beauty

They are sundried, which is why there is that popular brand Sunmaid (i.e. sun made) and I'm pretty sure they are raw.

Inner Beauty,

Most raisins are raw since the easiest way to produce them is to let the grapes dry on the vine. Some, the golden ones in particular, are dehydrated with heat. They're not an unhealthy food IMO. The sugars in them are monosaccharides and are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and are easy on the digestion. Like all dehydrated raw foods they will absorb moisture in the gut, so you might consider sipping some water when you eat them to ease digestion.

When you say you have cravings for sugar, what are the first foods you think of eating? For a lot of people the real culprit is the fat, like in ice cream, baked goods, and other processed foods or caffeine in soft drinks.

If you're using the raisins instead of a non-raw processed food you've made a step in the right direction. If you find yourself eating a lot of them you might also consider eating some greens with them like romaine lettuce as the fiber will slow down the sugar absorption, plus give you the water. A quarter cup of raisins (36.25grams) has about 109 calories which is a whole lot better than the same amount of nuts. The same weight of almonds would contain 211 calories, 80% being fat calories.

Enjoy the process!

uti Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Inner Beauty,
>
> When you say you have cravings for sugar, what are
> the first foods you think of eating? For a lot of
> people the real culprit is the fat, like in ice
> cream, baked goods, and other processed foods or
> caffeine in soft drinks.
>
One other thing. I didn't mean to discount the ill effects of refined sugars in processed foods when I wrote the quoted paragraph above. They and the fats are partners in crime as evidenced by the rapidly failing health of the culture that consumes the most of them.....the U.S. We (as a country) need not fear our demise from foreign enemies, we're doing a fine job of doing ourselves in.

Uti

have you noticed that some raisins are coated with oil? i have been careful to choose the ones without. i enjoy raisins but can't eat that many of them at a time. it's a good indication of how many my body can handle at a time i think. and always with plenty of water!

Make your own dried foods - if that helps you transition. Banana chips...dried strawberries....etc. Many fruits are VERY sweet...try a few as snacks!

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

davidzanemason Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Make your own dried foods - if that helps you
> transition. Banana chips...dried
> strawberries....etc. Many fruits are VERY
> sweet...try a few as snacks!
>
> -David Z. Mason


i agree with this. apple chips and dried apricots are delicious and healthy

For My Health The Fruit Company Fruit Baskets

Yes, I've noticed that some are coated in oil. The ones in the little boxes are for sure, I think it helps the raisins flow into the boxes better. The yellow ones might be coated too.

Also you can order a case of medjool dates from this guy.. I just got a case and they are fantastic! He has a farm in Arizona and they are VERY reasonably priced. Here is his email. He asked me if I knew anyone else who needed dates.

srjdate@yahoo.com

Hope this helps and these dates don't need drying at all and they are a great sweet treat!

i have raisins in boxes for my little boy for lunches and snacks (we reuse the boxes until they fall apart .) it says on the bag "ingredients: raisins", there isn't any oil.