Anybody else raw?

[lilybud]

Hi, I am just wondering if anybody else here is raw vegan? We are currently trasitioning from vegetarian to 90-95% raw vegan.
It has been hard to find info related to children and nursing moms and the raw food diet. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[Erin Pavlina]

We'll be opening up a raw foods section sometime in the next 6 months. But until then, let me send you to a good place.

www.rawfamily.com

I think they wrote a book on the subject too.

Going from vegetarian to raw vegan! Wow! That's quite a step! We've been vegan for like 7 or 8 years and we're just beginning a transition to raw. We want to see what it's like.

[xmysticprincessx]

I just read your post on being raw a few days ago, and it was the first I had heard about it. Then, I was flipping through the Parade section of this past Sunday's paper (Aug. 31, I think). On the back of the 1st page is a place where they publish answers to questions people write in about various celebrities. Well, someone heard that Demi Moore used the raw diet to help her lose weight and wanted to know if this is true. The answer was only a few sentences long, but it named Pam Anderson and one other celebrity as being raw. Demi claims to not have used the raw diet. Unfortunately, there was not much info on the diet or anywhere to find more info. But I guess at least the idea is getting out there and people are becoming more aware of being raw. Hopefully people will see this as a healthy lifestyle and not just some sort of fad diet.

[JudyMH]

Hi, I have experimented off and on for a couple of years with going raw. I currently do alot of raw juices, and eat alot of fruit and raw nuts, and salads. I am trying to ease back in to at least doing 80%. I find it hard to maintain, because of the detox symptoms that I get. That is probably an excuse, but my goal by January is to be back to 80%.I know i don't have really little kids unless you count my grandchildren, but maybe we could support each`other in our raw journey. ((BLESSINGS)) Judy

[Erin Pavlina]

We got a juicer because my husband wanted more raw juices. My toddler loves his concoctions. She'll even drink kale, spinach, parsley juice! Her favorite is apple/carrot/beet. I love seeing her drink so healthily.

We're looking into getting a dehydrator now so we can make dried fruits and crackers and such. The raw flax crackers we buy are super expensive!

[vegma]

Does anyone else feel like they're always one step (or ten!) behind?? I feel like I'm just getting the hang of this vegan thing and now "more" raw seems to be the healthy way to go! Interestingly enough, I didn't like meat as a child and was encouraged to eat it by my parents. I didn't like cheese, but was deemed a picky eater by my friends so I learned to eat it. I've always loved raw fruits and vegetables, but my husband thought it was terrible that I didn't cook them, so I did! What is it they say about following your heart?!?!

[alexis]

don't worry i feel the same here...somehow i think i prefer vegan alot more, since raw foods is a little strange to me...give it another year or so maybe i'll experiment, i don't have a liking for veggie juices or raw veggies...anyway i've heard this thing that people who are raw have pespiration that smells a whole load better....is it true? Anyone heard of it???

[JudyMH]

I've heard the same thing about the perspiration of raw foodists. I have a very dear email pal who swears after being raw for a few months she was able to stop using soap and deoderant. I think I'd have to ask the people around her if maybe she made a rash decision. I wouldn't have the confidence to go that far. I have a champion juicer and a juiceman jr. I like the juiceman better because you get more of the pulp. I have a wheatgrass juicer that I use for wheatgrass and sprouts. I really enjoy my 2 juices a day. An Excaliber is the best kind of dehydrater to have because it has trays and you can regulate the heat. Enzymes tend to die if you get it much hotter then 105%. I have read some people say 118% but I never trusted that. I have never enjoyed sprouted bread, but sprouted crackers are good. I like to soak my nuts and seeds, then put seasoning on them and dehydrate them for a couple of hours, very good. Same with sprouted grain, although I cannot have gluten. That still leaves Millet, and Buckwheat and Quinoa and such. It makes a really tasty snack if you add raisins, and the nuts, it makes kind of like a trail mix. I have to admit I still eat my pasta and cereal, and cooked brown rice, and bread. I still have bottled dressing on my salad. But I'm working on it. I'm probably 50%, trying to get my percentage a little higher. I'm really enjoying this raw discussion, Judy

[lilybud]

We are actually very low tech raw foodists. No juicer or dehydrator, mostly we eat fresh fruit, salad and very small quantities of nuts.
The first two weeks we did experience low energy during the detox, but afterwards we felt great. My psoriasis gets better, my husband's skin fungus disappeared after nothing else would
work, and best of all my 4 year old twin daughters finally sleep through the night. Before they would always wake and want soymilk during the night no matter how much they had eaten or drank the day/ evening before. We've noticed if we cheat (eat cooked out with friends) the girls don't sleep. And we feel yucky.
I did get a hand blender/pitcher combo to make some smoothies with things the girls won't eat-avocado, kale, etc. We are just trying to make sure we combine properly so that we can get the most benefit from each thing we eat.
After reading many books on raw food, the one that finally convinced us to commit was Raw Secrets by Frederic Patenaude. I also liked Raw Kids, Transitioning Children to a Raw Food Diet by Cheryl Stoycoff.
The hardest part for us is social outing and giving up habits (ice cream after the beach) but we are working on it because we really believe it is the healthiest and most humane thing to do.

[JudyMH]

Actually there is nothing wrong with your approach to raw foodism. I'm glad you were able to find what works for you and your family. I agree with you social situations can be hazardous to the best laid out eating plan. I usually bring a couple of dishes so I at least have something to eat. I never leave anything like that to chance.I love to experiment with new ways of doing things. I love my juicer, and my dehydrator because I get bored with eating the same way everytime. Besides I am working on some medical issues, and the raw juice has ready available nutrients that assimilate much faster in your system. Actually I think I am already feeling an improvement in my energy level and my immune system. That is my main purpose of juicing, then I discovered I really miss the juice when I don't take the time to do it. I have a very dear email friend that cleared up quite a few medical problems by juicing and eating fruits and salads, so I know it can be done. By rights he should be dead by now, but was able to get himself back to perfect health. So I guess we are all at different places on this raw food thing, and we have to do what works best in our situation. Eating simply is a good way to do it, and I know many raw foodists who would agree with you, and I'm glad you found something to help your little girl to sleep better. That is better for both of you.(((BLESSINGS))) Judy