Hi I've been RAW for three months and knew of three other people in Devon so looked to them for advice. But I sort of wish I'd kept a food diary as for the last month at least, whilst I've been enjoying Raw goat's cheese and local honey that I was told was only heated as much to get it into the jars(popycock I now think as it is possible to find un heated honey in jars, just a shame it comes from Italy) I've been feeling a bit sluggish and have put on weight!
So I guess it's back to basics and avoiding the farmers market for those items at least.
Anyone else learnt from their experience of what foods didn't suit them that others might be eating on a raw diet?

I do eat honey, but it's actually creamed honey which I was told isn't heated at all. It's a more solid honey than the yellow/gold stuff in bottles. It seems to give me quite a bit of energy

[www.healthyfoodrawdiet.com]

Coming from a family who raises honey bees, honey is heated in order to separate it from the wax and bee parts found in the honey after putting it through the spinner to separate it from the bee frames. I just can't imagine any honey being completely raw unless you are taking it directly from the hives and eating it from the frames or cones. The heating process is fairly hot in order to do the separating.

Also, I grew up making cow and goat cheese which we sold, as well as butter, bread, etc. I also can't imagine any cheese being raw. You have to scald your milk in certain parts of the process in making cheese. To scald your milk, the temperature is hot enough to bring it to a boil, which is hotter than the definition of raw from what I understand it to be, under 105 degrees F.

I would not recommend eating any dairy on a raw diet. At least, limit your intake to a very small amount. Dairy creates toxins in your body while you are trying to get rid of toxins on a raw diet. I would also limit the amount of honey, even if you find it truly raw. Try the juice of an orange or other sweet fruit instead when you need something sweet. Dates are great, too!

Good luck to you in your raw journey!

Creamed honey is nothing more than taking honey and whipping it up in a blender. Yes, it changes the color, but the process of creaming does not require heat. However, to separate honey from the wax and other substances found in honey after taking it from the hive, takes a good amount of heat. Please see my other post to the original person who posted the question. I will admit I do not know everything about honey and hives, but I do know after many years of working with honey bees, honey needs to be heated in order to do the above. I do not think of honey as raw because of that process. Again, I could very well be wrong!