raw foods

[fawn]

DISCLAIMER: NOT FOR INDUCTION UNLESS YOU ARE JUST EATING ALL RAW VEGGIES FOR YOUR 20GR. CARBS.

I have been transitioning to about 75-80% raw for about a month now. Has/does anyone utilize any raw food programs? It is quite easy in the maintenance phase of Atkins.

I was at a bridal shower last Sunday and my cousin is a raw food expert. She made a dessert that was just wonderful. You combine in a food processor, walnuts, raisins and dates, form and drizzle with a lemon/date glaze, top with a raspberry and serve. It is out of this world and a very tiny sliver was sufficient. WOW to taste a dessert that contains no artificial sweeteners or additives and to enjoy the natural sweetness of the fruit........Pure Heaven!

An example of my raw foods

Homemade almond milk
my green breakfast shake (which contains 4 cups of organic sprouts/veggies
nuts/seeds
fruits/veggies
homemade hummus w/tahini and garlic
guacamole

I have never felt better.

While I am not able to do a cleanse (I cannot go without eating) I have incorporated into my day 24oz. of pure water with 1/2c juice of lemon and 1/2 tsp. of cayanne pepper. My energy level is astronomical.

[not2late]

Re: raw foods

I've read about the raw foods movement. Some of the concepts make sense. Some don't.
I think it's rather futile unless you have incredibly fresh material--like you walk outside, pick the veggie or fruit and eat it--because nutrients deteriorate the longer they sit on trucks waiting to go to supermarkets where they sit again waiting for someone to buy them and bring them home to prepare.

Links about it.
http://www.rawfoods.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_foods_diet
http://www.billingsnews.com/story?st...7979&issue=184
http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/articles/...terawbene.html

[boonie stomper]

Re: raw foods

DISCLAIMER: NOT FOR INDUCTION UNLESS YOU ARE JUST EATING ALL RAW VEGGIES FOR YOUR 20GR. CARBS.

I don't get it?? Are you saying a raw diet cannot be used on induction if something you eat other than the raw veggies is uncooked?

I disagree, not2late, that it is futile. Even though once picked (vegetation) the elements begin to deteriorate, (and agreeably are tastier and healthier for you right then), they are still alive and using constituents to maintain life force until cooked, dried or frozen. If this has not been done and it isn't spoiled yet, but old, the food should still yield more nutrients than if it had been. With the exception of prompt freezing, food cooking and storage methods lose a lot.

Now about raw meat..... I can just go nuts over oysters, sushimi, and the occasional moo (without hoofs & horns!)

[big_bad_john]

Re: raw foods

For me to eat it, its gotta be double dead and triple cooked.

[dotsamantha]

Re: raw foods

I was about 80% raw for a few months a while ago. I made delicious cold soups, sun dried fruits, all sorts of things. I've been vegetarian, vegan, raw, ovo-veg, you name it. It was very difficult to maintain for me due to resources mostly. I realized I do enjoy cooked food. I'm also lacto and gluten sensitive. While I was raw I did not eat raw meat bec. I was trying veg raw. I love sashimi, shellfish and so on raw, but I also enjoy cooked food. I've always liked rare steak also, lol. I now know that my favorite menu is a varied one, including food from all different sources, prepared all different ways. I know there is debate among raw foodists in regard to diet, i.e. vegan raw and omni raw (example Carol Alt). Whatever results in an individual feeling healthy.

[boonie stomper]

Re: raw foods

DotSamantha - if resources are the only problem you could try Freegan!

[dotsamantha]

Re: raw foods

It was just where I lived at the time, quality organic produce was extremely hard to come by. i'm a happy cooked foodist now, lol.

And i don't even like it when food on my own plate touchs, forget about dumpster diving, lol.

[fawn]

Re: raw foods

I don't get it?? Are you saying a raw diet cannot be used on induction if something you eat other than the raw veggies is uncooked?


I disagree, not2late, that it is futile. Even though once picked (vegetation) the elements begin to deteriorate, (and agreeably are tastier and healthier for you right then), they are still alive and using constituents to maintain life force until cooked, dried or frozen. If this has not been done and it isn't spoiled yet, but old, the food should still yield more nutrients than if it had been. With the exception of prompt freezing, food cooking and storage methods lose a lot.

Now about raw meat..... I can just go nuts over oysters, sushimi, and the occasional moo (without hoofs & horns!)

I'm sorry I see I was not clear. I meant to say......
Those on Induction cannot eat berries, seeds, nuts, etc. so you can eat your 3 cups veggies raw. Am I making sense now?

As far as having the source in your back yard, I don't believe that. As well, I live in California where we have a great deal of local produce with many self serve farms and a Whole Foods that purchases locally.

and then there are nuts, seeds, beans, chick peas,

This would mean that cooked veggies have even less nutrients after cooking than my raw right?

I don't eat raw meat. Unless it is Sashimi grade fish. As I stated, my raw diet is only 75-80% raw meaning that I cook my meats.

[not2late]

Re: raw foods

I'm sorry I see I was not clear. I meant to say......
Those on Induction cannot eat berries, seeds, nuts, etc. so you can eat your 3 cups veggies raw. Am I making sense now?

As far as having the source in your back yard, I don't believe that. As well, I live in California where we have a great deal of local produce with many self serve farms and a Whole Foods that purchases locally.

Like I wrote, the closer the vegetable has been to it's harvest the more nutrients it has. So the most nutrient packed veggie would be something you just picked and shoved directly into your mouth. The longer a veggie sits on a truck or on a store shelf, the more the nutrients diminish.

Frozen produce is the exception, because the produce is frozen in plants located next to or near processing plants and many are "flash frozen" so the nutritional loss is less than the "fresh" produce shipped 100s of miles to a store.

and then there are nuts, seeds, beans, chick peas,

Seeds are storage forms of plants, so their situation is a bit different from something like Swiss Chard. If you look at their nutritional content, they have a relatively high amount of fat and protein. Seeds also don't have the full complement of proteins humans need.

This would mean that cooked veggies have even less nutrients after cooking than my raw right?

not entirely. If you read the two links from the non-raw food sites, they do say that cooking denatures the cell walls and that makes the nutrients within the cells more available to us---since we're not like cows and don't digest/breakdown cellulose. Granted there is a proportion of cell wall we mechanically breakdown with chewing, but breaking down the cell walls increases the bioavailabity---provided you eat the cooking liquid.

I don't eat raw meat. Unless it is Sashimi grade fish. As I stated, my raw diet is only 75-80% raw meaning that I cook my meats.

I don't even eat sashimi grade....intestinal parasites, nasty bacteria, and hepatitis are things I can certainly do without.

[boonie stomper]

Re: raw foods

Hmmm... here's something to ponder: If animals use stored calories when food is unavailable, do plants? I mean, If the celery in the fridge were put in a container with water, wouldn't it stay alive and utilize some of its carbohydrate?

I can't find a study on this, but I'd put money on that it DOES!

[not2late]

Re: raw foods

Hmmm... here's something to ponder: If animals use stored calories when food is unavailable, do plants? I mean, If the celery in the fridge were put in a container with water, wouldn't it stay alive and utilize some of its carbohydrate?

I can't find a study on this, but I'd put money on that it DOES!

The goal of a plant is to produce seeds or offspring. So their storage form is in seeds or roots/tubers. I forgot to mention that seeds and roots also contain quite a bit of carbohydrate, in addition to fat (or sterols) and protein.

Animal protein is interesting because if the goal is to eat the animal parts with the most nutrition/enzymatic activity, then you're wasting your time eating skeletal muscle. Organ meats, like liver, brain, pancreas, etc. and fat have more enzymatic activity and more "nutrients" than the skeletal muscle. IIRC, vitamin A is stored in the liver of some animals like polar bears and fat contains vitamin D. Skeletal muscle does contain some of these nutrients, but it's primarily eaten for the macronutrients like protein and fat.

The other thing about cooking destroying the enzymatic activity is that enzymes have different heat tolerances. So who's to say that human body temperature won't denature these plant enzymes. Or better yet, heat is a by-product of digestion, so it's conceivable the mere action of digestion will increase temperatures enough to deactivate these enzymes. That's why I don't understand how the raw foods folks have picked 116 or 118 degrees F as the "okay to heat to but not over" temperature.

[fawn]

Re: raw foods

You're very adament about this Not2Late. I'm also not sure why?? I have noticed a huge difference in my energy levels as well as a huge reduction in cellulite by blending a variety of raw fruits and vegetables.

You also seem to have a great deal of information which I respect.
Do you consume feed lot animal proteins or do you purchase local grass fed hormone and antibiotic free meats, eggs and dairy?
Because that is my biggest fear......corporate feed lot tactics.
Just curious.

[not2late]

Re: raw foods

I think you're mistaking "adamant" with "inquiring": I just don't understand the science behind some raw foods claims.

I try to buy "organic" (whatever that really means) whenever possible. I've recently found a local farmer who raises free range Rhode Island Reds and I buy eggs from him (his farm is about 30 miles away, so when I'm in the neighborhood I buy which isn't as frequent as I would like due to the gas prices). Honestly, I can't tell any taste difference between those eggs and the mass-produced kind. Although, the free range shells are thicker than the mass-produced shells---I chalk it up to less stressed chickens and better overall nutrition. As for beef, I eat beef maybe once every one or two months (shocking I know!) and I have a source for free range locally grown Angus. Since I don't eat beef frequently, I don't feel decadent splurging on the local beef once in a while. If I could find a local dairy farmer (and I know they're out there!), I'd purchase from them too. I do the PYO veg and fruit thing in the spring, summer, and fall, but I grow my own stuff too.

I have a tendency to buy local and support small businesses. I've seen too many small, hihg quality butcher's shops go out of business because people would rather pay supermarket prices.

[fawn]

Re: raw foods

Thank you for the info! While I swear by the low carb approach and will never ever go back. I have been giving meat a break and only eating it about 4 days a week.

I think my body is thanking me for adding more and more fruit each day. I was very very slow because of fear. In my opinion, that verges eating disorder so I have been experimenting and having a grand time.

Thank you for your wisdom you provide
And thank you for supporting your local farmer.
This country has gotten away from us with corporate bullying.

[not2late]

Re: raw foods

Believe me fawn, when I was studying Atkins to decide if it was logical for me to do, I was relieved that I could eat the variety of veggies Dr. A. had on his list. I was even more relieved when I saw that I could add on even more veggies and fruits during OWL and Pre-Maintenance!

Veggies and fruits are the best carb sources imo. Grains are okay, but in terms of fiber and vitamins and nutrients, they don't pack the same punch as fruits and veg.

In another thread I wrote what my OWL breakfast was this morning: 1/4 cup mashed black beans mixed with 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese on 1 slice of double fiber whole grain bread. It's totally legal OWL Phase Atkins meal.