I've been raw for over a month now

[D'Maree]

Hi All, I'm new to this and may need some help here and there.

I have been using raw coconut oil and eating raw coconut.

I just got an e-mail from a girl friend telling me to toss my coconut oil as Dr. Weil says it is causes inflammation. He also says not to use sunflower oil.

So I guess that leaves olive oil? What else?

Ate too much raw coconut today and found out how hard it is to digest the hard way. Really bad indigestion!

What percentage of diet is fruit, vegetable and nuts/avocado for protein?

I just read something that indicated that fruit was the best source for calories, carbs on raw diet and that bulk of diet should be fruit...

Thanks!

[jroo]

Originally Posted by D'Maree

I just got an e-mail from a girl friend telling me to toss my coconut oil as Dr. Weil says it is causes inflammation.

Experts say a lot of things. Take cayenne pepper, for instance. Some experts say it's an irritant and doesn't belong in the body at all. Other experts say it's one of the most alkalizing things you can eat and good for getting rid of mucus. The answer probably lies somewhere in between, or depends on the person/state of health/other lifestyle factors.

If Dr. Weil said that raw foods, in general, are hard to digest (as some people say), or that the raw food diet is lacking in nutrients (as some people say), would you quit or would you do some research?

Some bodies and/or lifestyles need more fat or sugars than others. Some bodies have a hard time with certain foods. Some raw foodists are big on only whole food, no oil, and very few nuts. Others like to make dishes that have interesting looks and flavors by combining whole foods and raw ingredients, and lots of nuts, that are refined from whole foods.

I think we need to gravitate toward what rings true with us, and learn to listen to our bodies. What I do now might be different in a few months, or a year. The good thing is that when you take steps toward healthier eating, it's okay if your diet isn't perfect (there probably isn't a perfect diet, anyway), because it's better than it was, and that's the key.

If fruit or whole foods is what rings true with you, do some looking into the 80/10/10 diet by Dr. Graham or read Tonya Zavasta or Victoria Boutenko. If balancing fruits, greens, vegetables, nuts, and refined ingredients peaks your interest, then look into Dr. Cousens, David Wolfe, Ani Phyo, Matt Amsden. There's many others, these are just some of the well known ones.

Originally Posted by D'Maree

Ate too much raw coconut today and found out how hard it is to digest the hard way.

Anything in excess is bad. Too much water will kill you. It's okay to lay off coconut for a while, or maybe you can just cut back and still enjoy it in moderation. David Wolfe says that when your body has had enough of a certain fruit, the taste will change for you. Perhaps that's what happened, perhaps coconut is not the best for you right now.

It looks like you are off to a good start. One month is a fabulous accomplishment! Sounds like you're at a point where you need to do some digging to see where to go next in your journey.

[RawFoodGrl]

I agree with jroo. The world is full of conflicting information!

I have books by famous, well established, raw foodists and some say sunflower oil is great, others do not, some say oilve oil is great, others do not. The list goes on.

I think one thing everyone can agree on with oils is that even cold pressed oil could be hot enough to cook the oil, so it's good to be sure of what you're getting. There are some places that specialize in true raw oils, for instance. (Although we just use the cold pressed oils from the health food stores, and don't get anything specially ordered.)

I eat sunflower oil a lot - I like it!!! I also use olive oil, coconut oil, coconut butter, and am working on more ways to incorporate the entire coconut into my diet, water and flesh too.

I second what jroo said - go with what works for you! There is no one single way of eating that'll work for everyone - listen to your own body and eat what makes your body sing.

[Mattye Lee]

Welcome!! I wish you the best of rawesome health!

[Double Helix]

I'm not a fan of Dr. Weil but I don't believe that coconut oil is right for eating. It really is unnatural to eat oil. Why not eat the whole coconut?

It is true - too much of ANY kind of fat is going to impede digestion, clog up the blood stream, and cause a lot of problems as it inhibits many of the body's functions.

Recently I heard of a 5 year 100% raw foodist having a heart attack. Guess what, he was eating a high fat diet, which includes concentrated oils and lots of nuts and avocadoes. Plus the diet he was on was very low fruit, so he had to get his calories somewhere hence all the fat in his diet. The doctor checked his arteries and they were indeed clogged.

I do agree with your friend, but you will run into a lot of different opinions as the posts above state. You'll read and hear how coconut oil has helped this and that person lose weight. I'm sorry, but what a cop out - to eat something so unnatural and processed and concentrated and not really raw in the sense of fresh, just to lose weight.

The raw diet has been really raked through the coals in the past few years. When I first started on raw 7 years ago, all these supplements and processed foods that are now commonly called "superfoods" weren't around, it was good old fruit and veggies, nuts and seeds. Now people are being bombarded with these processed so called raw foods all over the place. It can get very confusing!

Sorry for the rant, but it can be so disheartening to see this stuff happening.

Dont' throw out your coconut oil though. I use it in my hair and on my skin. There are a variety of uses for it OUSTIDE the body.