Hello again and a coupe of questions

[curlyangel]

is there anyone else out there from the uk? Anyone else who's just begun going raw? What if you can't afford organic? I've been working very hard this past 4 days and am overwhelmingly tired which is making me want to eat 'stodge'. I've had a beautiful avacado salad for my lunch but am wanting something much more satisfying right now. I can't keep eating avacados (our food budget is already suffering because of me going raw so what would satisfy this need for something heavy and filling?

[RawFoodGrl]

Can you be more specific about what you mean by "heavy and filling", perhaps give an example of what you would eat in your pre-raw days?

For instance, I often have moments when my body tells me it really wants a cheeseburger. REALLY BAD, not just a mental craving, but a true physical need. I learned that that means I've not been getting enough iron and protien particularly, and need some fat too.

I've found at home simply eating at least 1 cup of spinach daily (along with a wide range of other fruits and veggies) means this never comes up. Travelling I've run into challenges with this and someone suggested dulse and avocado when I 'crash out' to the point of wanting beef. I've not tried it yet, but we have the dulse (and always have avocado) so we're prepared!

For the organic food, I highly recommend finding a way to get organic because it really does make a difference. I enjoy the food more, there is more flavor, and I feel more nutritionally satisifed when I eat organic vs. "conventional".

Try growing your own, or going to local farmer's markets. I watch that show You Are What You Eat, a UK show, and many people in the show have complained about the cost of organic produce, but time and again they find out that they're actually spending less on a vege diet.

Most of what I eat are leafy greens and vegetables - really inexpensive stuff - and while there is a bit more in terms of nuts, seeds, oils, and some fruits (berries particularly), I don't eat that many each day, so while the initial cost might be high ($4.00 for a pint of berries) I only eat 1/3 of the pint a day.

I used to eat more nuts and seeds, and while I do put a small amount of sunflower and pumpkin seeds on at least one salad a day, I really prefer and feel better eating loads of salads and occasional fruit.

In fact, last night we made Rawvioli, (a nut pate put in eggplant or nori, folded up and deydrated until warmed through) and I enjoyed the salad far more than the rawvioli! I felt like I didn't even really want it or physically need it - but I DID need and want the salad.

[curlyangel]

I suppose by 'heavy and filling' I mean carbs. I'm thinking toast, bread, cake, potatoes. I think I'm maybe a week off my period which won't help really will it?

I do love a green smoothies and haven't had one for two days so will have to get the mango and spinach out again. I do start every day off with a pint of veg juice which usually has sprouts and spinach in, usually brocollie too.

We do have a very large veg patch but as yet are stuggling to get started with it - we have leeks in abundance out there but I'm not quite sure what to do with them raw? any ideas?

I have a husband and two teenage boys who I encourage to eat as much fresh as poss. We shop at our city centre market every saturday for fresh goods and have ended up spending £30 a week. It's giving my husband palpitations every week! lol. I find I'm having to buy extras as in avacados, kale etc from my own money instead of the food budget which has now run out a week before the month end! I'm not doing any fancy raw cooking, just enjoying salads and sprouted mung, aduki and chickpeas. Lots of fresh fruit, nuts - brazils, walnuts, almonds and seeds. I'm looking at lots of recipes and wondering how people afford all the ingredients such as choc powder, agarve necter, maca, superfoods etc etc. I suppose its difficult when it's not a family thing, its just me on my own. I'm sorry it all sounds a little chaotic - maybe I just need to simplify it all a bit more?

[RawFoodGrl]

You're making perfect sense!

I am wondering if you're like me. I am very sensitive to carbs and the more I want them, the more I want to eat them. So even things that are good for you like beans, rice and whole grain breads I have difficulty with. Frankly, I try to avoid eating them at all.

I also don't eat sugary things: many fruits (so far I've found only berries and citrus work), even maple syrup or honey. If I do need sweetner (such as making raw ketchup) I use a bit of agave. Because sugar causes similar problems.

In terms of the superfoods, yes they are very expensive, but frankly, I find them to be a necessity, so we find the money for it.

For leeks, you can certainly add a bit to your salad. Most of the time at this point I only use leeks in raw chili.

For the garden, where to start! We're growing spinach, lettuce, kale, arugula, sunflower sprouts (and sunflowers for seeds), cilantro, parsley, thyme, oregano, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, onions, garlic, endive, mache, eatable flowers, pumpkins, and watermelons. I'm sure I'm forgetting something ....

We have a fairly small garden, but we've learned how to get maximum production in a minimal space, getting a jump on things by starting seeds indoors or earlier (we've got pea sprouts growing now even though we are still getting peas from our current plants as we want to keep up production), and how to extend the growing seasons by keeping things warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

I occasionaly get fancy, but the truth is I feel better just eating salads. In fact, I rarely even make a smoothie. So you can certainly keep it simple like that!

Back to the carbs for a moment, if you are sure it's a physical need (not a mental craving), then go for it. In starting out I had lots of times of eating cooked foods (even meats when I'd been vegan) as I knew my body needed it. But then I tried to figure out what exactly I was getting from the cooked food/meat, so I could figure out how to do it raw. I think a lot of people do that.

It takes time to figure out how to do raw for your body!

[dandelion]

Curlyangel, if you are in the UK, then you must know Alissa Cohen? And it must be very easy to get hold of a copy of her Living on Live Food book! That is the book which inspired us to go raw overnight 4 years ago. She has a meal plan and it is packed with delicious recipes, it will help you to get started and you will not feel deprived at all, actually you will never want to go back again!

[curlyangel]

Thank you RawFoodGirl. I really do appreciate you finding the time to answer my questions and to give me some pointers.

I'm encouraged by the amount of veg you grow and as I'm now on 2 weeks holiday I will put aside some time from my spring cleaning and head out into the garden and see what can be done!

The comment about the physical or mental craving is one I will think over. Obviously only being 1 month raw I know I'm nowhere near being in tune with my body as I should or would like to be.

I made carrot and almond loaf last night and this did seem to help with that 'I need something more' feeling. I've even had husband and teenagers eating it today in wraps! Thank you again.

DANDELION - I've only discovered Allisa Cohen this week from constantly searching the web for any help/encouragement. I will endeavor to get a copy of the book you mention. I've downloaded an ebook of Karen Knowlers this weekend - 50 quick easy healthy recipes - (half price too!) and I have Detox your world by Shazzie. That's it - that is my raw food book collection.
Thanks Dandelion.

[RawFoodGrl]

I'm excited for you starting your garden! It's really a lot of fun, and it's very satisfying to go out to the garden to get food! I know it takes a bit of money to get started, but then you can have your own seeds. We always leave a couple plants of each type to go to seed for later planting.

And it's been truly astonishing how much plants self-seed! We have arugula, cilantro, mustard, and all kinds of lettuces growing all over the place. I mean, it IS nature's way, but it's kind of weird finding cilantro in the middle of the yard, and lettuce growing in the flowerbed.

For someting more substantial, you might want to try nut and seed pates. Tonight we're having rawvioli, which is a spiced nut pate wrapped in nori and eggplant, or you can use zucchini.

Oops - have a call, gotta go, I'll write more later.

[RawFoodGrl]

There are also recipes for "neatballs", burgers, falafel, which are essentially various dehydrated nut and seed pates. That might help too.

You can also sprout beans and grains (there is debate about whether rice can be truly sprouted, some do use rice, others do not), so you can eat your carbs, heavier carbs, and still be raw.

Oh, I wanted to mention something about being in tune with your body - that's something that takes both time and information. Knowing what your body needs or is hungry for can be pretty easy with things you eat regularly, such as an orange. When you're hungry for an orange you eat one!

But other things can be more complex. Finding out what I really need when my body screams "beef" or "cheese" has taken more time, as did trying to understand why everyone I knew could easily be raw for an entire day, but I was crashed out, mental, deranged, and completely bonkers by 2 pm. Now I know why, and what to do, but I had to learn.

I'm still learning what to do if my body gets out of balance or I start to be physically be hungry for non-vegan or cooked things.

So, be patient with yourself! You'll figure it out.

[Mattye Lee]

Hey Curlyangel! So glad you found raw! I have foudn heartier fare to be that which is made in a dehydrator