Raw Diet: Advice Wanted Please

[codefreeze]

Hi,

I'm considering a 30-day raw food trial.

Currently I eat a fairly balanced diet. I don't eat meat, but occasionally eat fish. My evening meal is usually a small salad, with a hard-boiled egg or avocado. I usually eat my main meal at lunchtime, and that is usually a pasta or rice based dish. I am being fairly careful about what I eat right now as I am trying to get down to around 11 stone 2, from 12 stone 11. I am currently 12'2. Breakfast I usually eat porridge and fruit.

I'm keen to give the trial a go, as I'm interested to see what benefits (if any) there will be. I should add I recently started training for running a marathon.

I will probably leave my evening meal as is (without the egg).

Here are my questions:

1) Is there one *simple*, recommended book I could refer to give me the basic theory, and also lists of foods I need to eat?

2) OK I can eat salads and fruits, but what else is there? What else do I need to be eating. For example, how do I replace pasta and rice for carbs?

3) How do I ensure I get all the nutrients my body needs?

4) If you are on a raw diet what's your typical daily intake (what meals do you eat)?

I am a complete newbie at this, so if anyone could also offer a link to a very clear intro for beginners on how to do this I'd really appreciate it. I've looked on the net and didn't find anything concise and clear so far.

[Nameless One]

If you thought the raw vs cooked argument was intense, just wait till you see the arguments going on within the raw food thing. Nobody agrees on anything. Everybody has a different idea of what is best and it seems 1 person's miracle diet is another person's disaster.

[Kishka]

Originally Posted by Nameless One

If you thought the raw vs cooked argument was intense, just wait till you see the arguments going on within the raw food thing. Nobody agrees on anything. Everybody has a different idea of what is best and it seems 1 person's miracle diet is another person's disaster.

That's because most people don't understand that your individual diet must coincide with your individual body lol...

The arguments are silly. Use trial and error to determine what kind of raw/vegan/vegetarian diet is best for YOU..

[ginkgo]

There are a lot more fruits and vegetables than there are grains. You can add some fungus to your diet. Fungus is good for you. One good fungus is SHITake mushrooms. Some say maitake is better. So you can get one of those ta-kees. But you do not have to be like Kiyosaki and have sake with your ta-kees. You do not need to replace anything. You are just eating things that you were brought up to eat.

My family grew up eating lots of whole chickens but we never had chicken necks and backs but many blacks here say that is the best part of the chicken. We grew up eating a lot of fried matza but many people respond with "what is matza?" It is unleavened bread. One restaurant in Korea brags that they have served more rats than any other restaurant in the world. The point is to just open your mind.

As far as books on diet, you can read dozens or read the one definitive book on diet-- Eat For Health: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, Look Younger, Live Longer Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

It coins the word "nutritarian." It introduces the ANDI scale that is now use by Whole Foods-- largest natural foods supermarket chain in the U.S. Amazon.com says about this book:

Despite all the sophisticated medical technology available today, the sobering truth is that the greatest tools for preventing and reversing disease are your fork and spoon.

Further, unlike most weight-loss approaches based on will-power and difficult to sustain, Dr. Fuhrman's approach corrects the underlying causes of excessive hunger and cravings, resulting in permanent, naturally-occurring weight loss.

Thousands who have recovered from their medical problems have been calling Dr. Fuhrman s Eat For Health program a medical miracle.

Published medical research already documents this as the most effective weight loss method ever recorded in medical history.

Hundreds of medical doctors utilize Dr. Fuhrman s Eat For Health system in their medical practice. It is because all diets fail, for vast majority, in the long-run, unless there is an adequate understanding of nutrient density of food and how low-nutrient-eating leads to food cravings, food addictions and fuels overeating behavior. Dr. Fuhrman's Eat For Health is a medical breakthrough because without this fascinating information you are essentially destined to be struggling with dieting forever, compelled to consume excess calories, and not be able to comfortable and permanently maintain a lighter, healthier weight.

[secrets0stolen]

Originally Posted by codefreeze

Hi,

I'm considering a 30-day raw food trial.

Currently I eat a fairly balanced diet. I don't eat meat, but occasionally eat fish. My evening meal is usually a small salad, with a hard-boiled egg or avocado. I usually eat my main meal at lunchtime, and that is usually a pasta or rice based dish. I am being fairly careful about what I eat right now as I am trying to get down to around 11 stone 2, from 12 stone 11. I am currently 12'2. Breakfast I usually eat porridge and fruit.

I'm keen to give the trial a go, as I'm interested to see what benefits (if any) there will be. I should add I recently started training for running a marathon.

I will probably leave my evening meal as is (without the egg).

Here are my questions:

1) Is there one *simple*, recommended book I could refer to give me the basic theory, and also lists of foods I need to eat?

The 80/10/10 diet by Dr. Doug Grahm is probably (from a scientific perspective) the best book on the raw food diet. It's simple, objective, and specific. The title scares a lot of people off, but it's really pretty much fruit and salad!

2) OK I can eat salads and fruits, but what else is there? What else do I need to be eating. For example, how do I replace pasta and rice for carbs?

The main source of carbs on a raw food diet is fruit.

3) How do I ensure I get all the nutrients my body needs?

Any specifics nutrients you're concerned about? The main thing is to eat enough calories.

4) If you are on a raw diet what's your typical daily intake (what meals do you eat)?

Well, when I'm active it could go like this:
Breakfast:1/2 large watermelon
Lunch: 10 bananas
Dinner: cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and a mango chopped, mixed, and dressed with limes juice. Sometimes instead of mango I'd use avocado for something more fatty/substantial.

I am a complete newbie at this, so if anyone could also offer a link to a very clear intro for beginners on how to do this I'd really appreciate it. I've looked on the net and didn't find anything concise and clear so far.

I don't think I've found one source that explains it all perfectly, but...

this one's pretty good:The Raw Food Diet

[monishad4]

Originally Posted by Nameless One

If you thought the raw vs cooked argument was intense, just wait till you see the arguments going on within the raw food thing. Nobody agrees on anything. Everybody has a different idea of what is best and it seems 1 person's miracle diet is another person's disaster.

That is right. No one diet works for everybody. I think one needs to choose foods wisely based on their individual preferences. Now, personally, I eat raw foods must of the time; however I won't say it is the "best diet available" since I know very well that raw foods are not everyone's cup of tea.