Raw Foods - Anyone do this diet?

[Guest]

Wow...

All I have to say, is I might eat raw foods the rest of my life.

Since I've started incorporating more and more raw foods into my diet a month ago, my body has naturally started to crave them...and now my diet is probably 85-100% raw depending on the day.

I just feel better. My digestive system LOVES this. I feel lighter physically and mentally. I have more energy. Even in the gym lifting extremely heavy weights...

I love the simplicity of this diet. I just go into the produce section basically, and choose what looks most alive, ripe, etc. I look at how it was grown. I try to buy organic. But its really fun because I'm basically buying that live vital energy and putting it right in my body when I eat it.

I now realize that raw food is great. But I think one of the "nutritional" (if you can call it that) aspects of raw foods, is the fact that its alive in some respects. And the closer you get to actually picking that food off the branch, the more life-energy you capture, which then goes into your body.

So now I want to start growing my own greens, like wild salad mixes...sunflowers sprouts, wheatgrass. Greens are really good for you, because they give your body an alkaline condition. I've just learning about this, but if you want to feel more based and grounded in your body/mind...its good to eat alot of greens. They will ground your emotions and stuff. It seems to be true but I'm still learning.

Another cool thing about raw is its so SIMPLE! I'm not into all of that recipe stuff. I just like picking what I feel like eating, and then eating it. There is an odd satisfaction in eating an avocado with your hands! Try it! I feel like I'm connecting with some sort of primitive aspect of myself.

And its cool because I can go out near my garden, have my feast, and then throw the remains right on my soil...which will eventually feed the soil!

So many things I like about this diet so far.

The next thing I'm doing is incorporating more live foods. Recently I've started having wheatgrass juice. In fact, before I was raw, I had this juice...and for some reason I couldn't deal with the taste too much, although it wasn't horrible. But now that I'm more raw, its like my whole taste sensations are heightened, and I love wheatgrass, because I can taste all the minerals, oxygen, enzymes...the aliveness...inside.

It all sounds so magical and esoteric, I know...but its true.

I'm also getting back into lifting heavy weights. I'm going to incorporate StrongMan workouts 2-3 times a week. Yesterday I was lifting like a maniac...I had tons of energy. Of course I did eat some raw cocoa nibs earlier..hmmm...

I have never been fat before, but on cooked foods I tend to have a small amount of pudginess to my face, and I always no matter what had some fat on my love handles. Not alot by any means, but just always there. Unexpectedly, as I ate more raw, I noticed that my entire body has chiseled up. Like, my love handle fat is just not there. Its just muscle.

I wasn't trying for this result. Its just happened. And I feel like thats the greatest part of this diet. Its like, my body wants to eat this way, so its all gravy (pun) because it seems effortless.

Neways, I don't want to hype things up too much...but this is my honest take of this way of eating right now. We'll see how things go in the next month. I'm interested to see how raw can support and build muscle...and I'm reading some websites on it now.

But it makes sense. you take an ape, who is many times stronger than a human. What does he eat? Greens and fruit. He is ripped muscle. And then of course the grass grazing animals, who have more muscle than any other animal... all that muscle is built from the proteins inside of the grass.

Neways dont' want to get too far ahead of myself.

Indicad

 

[marx2k]

Raw foods are where it's at. Sometimes I will cook myself some egges or eat some sliced turkey in a wrap, or make myself oatmeal on the stovetop but beyond that, I eat mainly raw fruits and veggies. I eat fruit and berries whenever I can because..well.. I just love fruit and berries. Apples, pears, grapefruit, mango, papaya, bananas, etc etc etc

I also love veggies in a salad with wine vinegar and raisins thrown on top. I think the only thing I eat a lot of that isn't raw are beans. I love beans of all types and when trying to lose weight, the keep a brother full for a long time and are full of protein.

 

[Guest]

real man...

 

[treble]

marx2k ... that list is my just about list..... #1 doesn't affect me here.. not available but all the rest. I have MSG on my list which is probably your #9. Premade foods and sauces are full of MSG and its a brain killer that one, plus all of the salt and the highly processed flours which have the long strand proteins from what I understand and its suspected of being cancer causing.

Pork and processed meats because they are cured with sodium nitrates which again is cancer causing.

I am looking for meat alternatives... but perhaps my "type" of diet needs changing. The meat substitutes I have found so far are as dangerous as meat itself. Tofu is soy and thats all GM now, and wheat glutten minced stuff/caserole?? is the same problem as the flours.

My diet is mostly italian or asian style foods. I am eating whole grain breads/pastas.... but now I read your post I wonder if all breads or flours are bad....wondering whats your thinking there

treb

 

[marx2k]

As far as all breads/flours being bad.. it really depends. You really have to take it from a blood glucose and carb countin level. I count carbs because if I dont, I get fat. So any breads for me are bad. whole wheat bread will cause your blood sugar level to spike less than white flour, but I really havent done any research into how much less. I would stay away from all white flour products in general and if you're going to have to eat bread/pasta, go with the whole wheat.

I mainly stay away from soy because of the phytoestrogens in it as well as the fact that it messes with proper thyroid function. However, I think when it comes to fermented soy (Tempeh), this is a non-issue. Actually, if you want to look up the dangers of soy, a google search term would be 'fermented soy', strangely enough since it talks about the dangers of soy and then the beningn-ity of fermented soy... you like that word? beningn-ity

 

[Yummybud]

sugar alternatives cause cancer?

I tried it once because they had it lying around at work, splenda, put it in my coffee and it was gross I didn't drink it. It tasted like some medicine.

I pretty much eat anything lol, I don't do my own shopping so I just eat any crap that's in teh fridge.

 

[Rosy Cheeks]

I'm a raw foodist to about 80%. My diet consists essentially of raw fruits and vegetables. For proteines, a lot of fresh or smoked fish and seafood, steam cooked or microwaved chicken and occasionally raw beef. It's no big deal really, you get used to it. It almost immediately pays off in numerous health aspects (that depends of course how healthy you ate before switching to raw foods). You become fitter, you feel better, you gain in strenght and stamina, you become smarter since your brain is in better shape, and last but not least, the physical effect of the THC becomes more intense and pleasant.

The whole thing boils down to sound logic. The human body isn't made for cooked food. You can eat it, but that's not the point. It is made for the kind of diet our pre-historic ancestors ate, an omnivore diet of uncooked plants, fruits, vegetables and meat.

There are undisputable proof that cooked food is bad for you. Whenever you introduce a toxic substace or harmful bacteria/virus in your body, it responds by activating its immune system.

The immune system releases white blod cells in your blood stream, these are the body's little helpers that break down or neutralize the intruders.

So, in order to evaluate the toxicity of a substance, or the characteristics of a bacteria, all you have to do is to study the body's reaction to it, and the amount of white blood cells released.

In the 20th century, when scientists were studying the effects of different substances introduced in the body, they found that everytime after eating cooked food, the body releases white blood cells in the blood stream towards the digestive tract, leaving the rest of the body less protected by the immune system, just as if a toxic product had been introduced in your stomach. This phenomenon is called "digestive leukocytosis".
There is no such reaction after eating raw food. Ever since, science is trying to find out what in cooked food that the body conciders toxic or unwanted, and there are several different theories on that. But the bottom line is, people luy and make up their own truths, but the body doesn't.

Cooked food is concidered toxic by your own body.

Cooking a foodstuff makes it easier to chew and digest, and it also develops pleasant tastes.
But the biochemical structure and nutrient makeup of the food is altered from its original state. Molecules in the food are deranged, degraded, and broken down. The food is degenerated in many ways. Fiber in plant foods is broken down into a soft, passive substance which loses its broom-like and magnetic cleansing quality in the intestines.

Nutrients (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc.) are depleted, destroyed, and altered. The degree of depletion, destruction, and alteration is simply a matter of temperature, cooking method, and time.

Up to 50% of the protein is coagulated. Much of this is rendered unusable. High temperatures also create cross-links in protein. Cross-linked proteins are implicated in many problems in the body, as well as being a factor in the accelleration of the aging process.

All of the enzymes present in raw foods are destroyed at temperatures as low as 118 degrees fahrenheit. These enzymes, named "food enzymes" are important for optimum digestion. They naturally aid in digestion and become active as soon as eating commences. Cooking destroys 100% of these enzymes. Eating enzyme-dead food places a burden on the pancreas and other organs and overworks them, which eventually exhausts these organs. The digestion of cooked food usurps valuable metabolic enzymes in order to help digest the food. Digestion of cooked food is much more energetically demanding than the digestion of raw food. In general, raw food is so much more easily digested that it passes through the digestive tract in a half to a third of the time it takes for cooked food.

When eating pizza, hot dogs or other excessively fat and sugar-rich cooked foods, it's a little like if you piss in the gas tank of your car.
Your car won't break down straight away, the engine will still run, but the piss will decrease its performance, and there will be slight disfuntions that eventually will bring down the life span of the engine.

Now, just reflect for a second on how you run your life. You take great care in giving your plants the proper ratios of nutrients and light that it needs to be in good health.

Why don't you do the same thing with yourself?

 

[Guest]

In the 20th century, when scientists were studying the effects of different substances introduced in the body, they found that everytime after eating cooked food, the body releases white blood cells in the blood stream towards the digestive tract, leaving the rest of the body less protected by the immune system, just as if a toxic product had been introduced in your stomach. This phenomenon is called "digestive leukocytosis".
There is no such reaction after eating raw food. Ever since, science is trying to find out what in cooked food that the body conciders toxic or unwanted, and there are several different theories on that. But the bottom line is, people luy and make up their own truths, but the body doesn't.

Cooked food is concidered toxic by your own body.

I don't think it's cooked food as much as it's the temperature the food is cooked at AND how fast it's cooked at certain temperatures.

An example of this is when scientist found out that cooking carbohydrates foods at temperatures higher than 212f created acrylamide and boiling vegetables loses nutrients. I think it has to do with the lack of a high amount of moisture more than the temperature because these things were baked or fried which get's rid of water.

This making of arcylamide doesn't happen with steamed food as well as the lack of nutrients. In fact a cooking food in steam for a quick few minutes makes the nutrients more available to the body as well as bring out more of the flavor.

I think having 70% raw foods with a lot being mostly sprouted, 20% steamed and pressure cooked, and 10% fried is what you want because by eating the raw foods you get the nutrients and enzymes in their whole form, by eating the food steamed and pressure cooked you get the nutrients in a fast easily absorbed form and I think the pressure creates chemicals that are more potent but their needs to be more research on this. By eating fried food, the chemicals that are created such as acrylamide can actually enhance your immune system because being that these chemicals are in such low concentrations and you have a strong immune system due to eating healthy whole foods, your body can actually use these chemicals made during cooking to make you immune to the problems they cause others who eat them in high concentrations without eating a healthy diet AND those who don't eat it at all because they don't eat high temperature foods.

Here's info on steam pressure(pressure cooker) making ginseng more potent and creating new chemicals:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/11/001130074250.htm



Acrylamide and Cooking temperature:

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17961604

 

[Guest]

I mainly stay away from soy because of the phytoestrogens in it as well as the fact that it messes with proper thyroid function. However, I think when it comes to fermented soy (Tempeh), this is a non-issue. Actually, if you want to look up the dangers of soy, a google search term would be 'fermented soy', strangely enough since it talks about the dangers of soy and then the beningn-ity of fermented soy... you like that word? beningn-ity

This is true for most beans as well as plants. You have to remember a plant that is growing makes inhibitors and chemicals so that it will survive and be strong and healthy. When you eat these beans and plants you can eat them raw in a LIMITED amount BUT letting them sit with some bacteria or heat at low temperature such as 118f you can eliminate the inhibitors as well as make the nutrients more bioavailable due to the enzymes breaking them down. Soy in itself isn't bad, it's just that most people and companies don't do what's necessary to keep them healthy such as soaking them overnight or heating them to 118f-120f.

Here's an article showing a soymilk maker eliminating the trypsin inhibitors in soy just by soaking it overnight and heating it to 120f for twenty minutes:

http://www.soymilkquick.com/faq.html#ti

Q. How is the trypsin inhibitor (TI) removed from soybeans?
A. There are both heat-stable (saponins, tannins, estrogens, phytate) and heat-labile (protease inhibitors) in soy. Protease inhibitors in soy are destroyed by heating but other factors also play a role, such as duration of heating, particle size and moistusre conditions. Thus, how soy products are processed will dictate how much of the protease inhibitor (also known as trypsin inhibitor) remains. For example, raw soy flour has lost none of the trypsin inhibitor, but toasted soy flour has lost 85-94%, and soy protein isolute has lost 79-91%. The loss of trypsin inhibitor does not reduce the biological value and digestibility of the protein. In fact, the opposite occurs. As measured by the Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) assay in rats, a standard assay of protein quality, nutritive value of the protein in soy actually increases with the heating used to destroy trypsin inhibitors.

http://www.soymilkquick.com/soy-milk-maker-comparison.html

The SoyQuick Automatic Soymilk Maker™ is fast, quiet, and completely automated. The temperature sensor ensures that the water is sufficiently heated to thoroughly cook the soymilk. Dr. Lester Wilson of Iowa State Happy CustomersUniversity tested the SoyQuick Automatic Soymilk Maker™ and found that Soy Trypsin Inhibitor (the enzyme that inhibits soy digestion) activity was reduced by 96% (a minimum of 80% if required). This assures us that the cooking method is appropriate for optimum health. An important safely feature of the machine is the electrode, which prevents the soymilk from boiling over while cooking.

 

[Guest]

Here's one showing the effect of soaking the soy beans in water.

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2004.00333.x?journalCode=ijc

The effect of the length of soaking time on trypsin inhibitor, crude protein and phosphorus contents of soybeans (Glycine max)

* P.P. Mumba,
* F. Chilera and
* G. Alinafe

*
University of Malawi, Bunda College of Agriculture, Lilongwe, Malawi

P.P. Mumba, University of Malawi, Bunda College of Agriculture, PO Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi. E-mail: mumbap01@yahoo.com
Abstract


"A study to determine the effect of soaking soybeans (Glycine max) at different periods of time on trypsin inhibitor, crude protein and phosphorus contents was carried out. The results showed that the length of soaking period had significant effect (P < 0.05) on trypsin inhibitor and crude protein contents. The activities of the trypsin inhibitor were 10% in roasted soybeans, 27.5% in raw and a range of 26.6% for those soaked in water for 24 h to 17.7% for soybeans soaked for 96 h or more, with a standard error of 6.56 on each of the values. The crude protein contents were 41.58% in raw, 31.43% in roasted and a range of 40.05–30.64% for those soaked in water for 24–120 h. The standard error on each value was 5.09%. On the other hand, length of soaking period had no significant effect on phosphorus content. It can be concluded from this that soaking soybeans in water can effectively remove the anti-nutritional factors. While roasting is better, the use of fire wood may not be encouraged as it has caused a lot of deforestation with consequent occurrence of floods and hence food shortages. Such a good animal husbandry practice can help to improve the health of animals, which can in turn help to improve the health of the population."

Take notice that the water lowered the activity to 27% and this is when it's raw. When you cook the beans it will continue to go lower. It's all about Preparation. Peace

 

[Guest]

I just like the way I look on raw. I just feel this is right. I love the taste of fresh fruit, which is probably most of my diet now. But I'm definitely incorporating more greens... and working out more.

I guess people could argue back and forth. But until you try it, you don't really know.

 

[bartender187]

If I had the self disciplane Ide attempt to change over a portion of my diet to raw foods... ive read some books on the subject, Kirlian photography is an interesting read on how it reacts to raw vs cooked food.

 

[Guest]

Thats funny..I just came to post something on this. When I was first thinking about and reading about raw foods, I would see pictures and just think... geez these people are depriving themselves...how do they do this to themselves??

But it was weird, because people looked happy still when they were eating this way.

And my experience has been just that. You don't feel your depriving yourself at all...in fact you feel like your giving yourself what you really want, each time!

and so...motivation...just takes care of itself! seriously...!

 

[DickAnubis]

INDI -
Very cool. I've been a Vegan for ten years and roughly 85% of my diet is raw. Raw eating is alot easier and cheaper than most people believe.
If you're keeping your nutes balanced you're good to go.
Proteins are so easy to get and again another misconception many people hold.
Even at the pro body building level Frank Zane claims he eats 1.5 -2 g of protein per kilo of body weight. So a 220lb person would require 150 - 200 g of protein IF they were working out at peak levels. The average person needs only about 75g or so.

Well if you're feeling light and alert and your tail is bushy more power to you.
I think most people would desire fresh and raw foods after trying it for even a week.


PEACE
DA

 

[marx2k]

I find it funny that a majority of the posts in the first page of this thread thought 'raw diet' menat raw meat hahaha gotta change up that mindset.

 

[Rosy Cheeks]

It does, to a certain extent. I would like to eat more raw meat than I do, especially raw fish. Microwaving or steam-boiling certain types of meat is just a protection against a certain type of bacteria-culture you could habituate yourself to.
After all, our digestive system is made for eating raw meat.

Vegetarianism is not to confuse with raw foodism, since raw foodism conciders all aspects of human nutrition, whereas vegetarianism is trying to bypass an essential part of our basic need.

I'm not saying you cannot live long and healthy without meat, just that Homo sapiens has become omnivore by choice or necessity. We can refuse to eat meat out of personal choice, but our digestive system is made for it.

Everything indicates that a predominantely fruit and vegetable diet is best in terms of health and longetivity aspects.

What is eaqually important is to consume it in the most natural and unaltered form possible, for reasons already explained. Which is why processed foods in all forms are unfit for human consumption.

And if you think that vitamine pills take care of the shortcomings in your diet, think again:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/healthy_eating/article1449813.ece

 

[Guest]

eating raw meat is dangerous in itself, watch out for tapeworm eggs in your T-BONE.

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

eating raw meat is dangerous in itself, watch out for tapeworm eggs in your T-BONE.

Well... That's a highly misinformed and reactionary post...

I eat rare steak every week... Have for years... a decade anyhow... And have never had problems from it... Fact is, Only raw beef surfaces which have been exposed pose any risk of contamination... Beef recalls are almost always due to improper handling, nothing to do with the meat itself...

Also... If you inform yourself about the tapeworm lifecycle, you'll find that unless you eat shit or shit contaminated food, you won't be getting any tapeworms... Tapeworm eggs pass along thru feces, NOT in muscle tissue...

Now to the subject at hand... I have always preferred my veggies raw and crunchy... MMmmmmm good stuff, and better for you....

 

[Rosy Cheeks]

eating raw meat is dangerous in itself

That's what every doctor in town will tell you, because your digestive system isn't used to eating raw meat, and your immune system isn't adapted to it, so you risk falling ill. But it is just a question of habituating yourself to this type of foodstuff. Then, the advatages will overrule the disadvantages.

You know, in 17th century Europe, it was concidered that taking baths were bad for your health, which is why France's King Louis XIV only took three baths in his whole life (the first when he was baptized, the second when a mistress insisted, and the third when a doctor lanced a sore on his bottom and ordered him to soak the wound in a tub of water). After each bath he fell terribly ill, which of course proved to him that washing yourself was bad.

Just an anecdote to concider...

 

[DickAnubis]

Respectfully,

A short digestion tract is for meat eating. Meat hanging around the intestines putrifies and causes problems. Best in and out. there's not much to be had from meat anyway.

Human digestive tract is a long and winding road suggesting slow break down of things like nuts and bark and green leafy things. Human also started eating meat way back when we were scavenger hunters. Puny human sat around while the big hunter animals scored the kill and ate what they wanted. After the carrion birds and small critters got through puny human slipped in and ate mostly the marrow in the bones. Very easy to digest.
Well the process developed and we got the upper hand (just below viruses and bacteria) and took over the show.

As such an all meat diet would probably result in something terrible happening to the body, yet an all veg diet bears no ill will.

Now this thread is about raw food and as such one could certainly eat raw meats with little preparation. Sometimes pickling rids any bad things. Regardless of one's position on the meat/vegan fence, raw diets are cleansing and provide more nutrition than cooked once you recondition your GIT.

Odd I don't usually get involved in these type debates. It must be the Sushi I stoked in the bowl. Or the Steak Tartar bong hits I've been doin'!

PEACE ALL

DA O MANI PADME OM