NEW...is it OK to eat 75% raw? - Raw Food Chat

vivyzeta · 01-10-2008

Hello,
my name is Viviana, I started eating raw 100 % two months ago but then I went back to the cooked food, I felt depressed and sad of not able to eat cooked warm food....this time I want to try again but 75 % raw. I still like to eat beans, rice and warm veggie soaps once in awhile. Does anybody can suggest me anything about this? is it acceptable to eat raw most of the day and splurge with the cooked foods I mentioned? Thanks much!
Viviana

nothinkingbehind · 01-11-2008

Hi Viviana!

The good news is that it's perfectly ok to eat whatever level of raw works for YOU and only YOU know that. Can I ask why you went back to cooked food? When you went raw, did you do it gradually, or did you go raw "cold turkey". What were your eating habits prior to going raw? And why did you choose raw? All of these things are important if you want to get opinions from people about what has worked for them....

There are studies that show that eating at least 50% raw at every meal has huge health benefits, so if I eat cooked food, I eat it with raw food.

I am about 70-80% raw most of the time. Today was mangoes, dates, raw hummus and veges, raw cookies, a raw shake of strawberries, raw power protein mix, and coconut water. Oh, and an avocado. I also had a shake of "super foods" which was pretty high in protein. Tonight I am having a glass of wine, but I wasn't hungry for dinner, so I might just have some berries or something with it. So today was a pretty high raw day.... oh, and i had a few rice crackers with the hummus and veges earlier.

Tomorrow might be good again, or it might be less raw and more cooked..... it's one day at a time in my life, it's how i work best

Glad you found us, and I hope you look around and make yourself at home!

Melissa

healthyme · 01-11-2008

I am up to about 80% raw. I feel fine and not having any side effects on the down side. I am feeling great as a matter of fact, my skin is tighter around my hips and things, my mind is clearer and I have more energy. OH the best part is I am sleeping better than I have in a long time
I still have a few warm foods but those are mostly at home in the evening when my family is around but I have been able to resist all the processed foods that are around work and home.
My family is on board with me and I see healthier snack choices being made. I set us up with a new physician for checkups. My husband went to her and loved her. Wholistic approach, very much into health and nutrition, including raw lifestyle. I see very good things for us all.

Double Helix · 01-11-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivyzeta

Hello,
my name is Viviana, I started eating raw 100 % two months ago but then I went back to the cooked food, I felt depressed and sad of not able to eat cooked warm food....this time I want to try again but 75 % raw. I still like to eat beans, rice and warm veggie soaps once in awhile. Does anybody can suggest me anything about this? is it acceptable to eat raw most of the day and splurge with the cooked foods I mentioned? Thanks much!
Viviana

It's perfectly acceptable to eat ANY amount of raw that you choose to eat for your own journey.

However, the amount of raw will match the amount of healing and wellness you would like for yourself. So if you want 100% or ALL of the benefits of a raw diet, likewise you'll want to eat 100% or ALL raw. Right now you are getting 75% of the benefits of a raw food diet, and it that is fine with you then that's great.

On a personal note, I find it harder to be raw when I don't do it fully. Eventually more and more cooked slips in and before I know it I'm hardly getting any raw food in and I feel sluggish and unenergetic. That's my own journey. Many people can stay high raw and do very well with it. I don't feel nearly the same amount of energy, vitality and healing on a less than all raw diet though.

So, the only person who needs to give you permission to eat the way you want, is you!

vivyzeta · 01-12-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothinkingbehind

Hi Viviana!

The good news is that it's perfectly ok to eat whatever level of raw works for YOU and only YOU know that. Can I ask why you went back to cooked food? When you went raw, did you do it gradually, or did you go raw "cold turkey". What were your eating habits prior to going raw? And why did you choose raw? All of these things are important if you want to get opinions from people about what has worked for them....

There are studies that show that eating at least 50% raw at every meal has huge health benefits, so if I eat cooked food, I eat it with raw food.

I am about 70-80% raw most of the time. Today was mangoes, dates, raw hummus and veges, raw cookies, a raw shake of strawberries, raw power protein mix, and coconut water. Oh, and an avocado. I also had a shake of "super foods" which was pretty high in protein. Tonight I am having a glass of wine, but I wasn't hungry for dinner, so I might just have some berries or something with it. So today was a pretty high raw day.... oh, and i had a few rice crackers with the hummus and veges earlier.

Tomorrow might be good again, or it might be less raw and more cooked..... it's one day at a time in my life, it's how i work best

Glad you found us, and I hope you look around and make yourself at home!

Melissa

Dear Melissa, thanks for your reply. I quit cooked food cold turkey the first time but then I started missing things like Pizza (not the american cheesy one) but italian, healthy and fish..i love fish and legumes... My diet was very healthy, but then I started reading about raw food and the benefits and it is true..I felt much better going raw 100%. I think the secret is also knowing how to prepare meals which I dont really and be creative with food...anyway I am glad to have found this forum!! it is great! Thanks!!

nothinkingbehind · 01-12-2008

Hi again Viviana,

I agree with DH's post as well.... very good points... and some I have to remember for myself. My health is in direct proportion to how many good raw food choices i make.

It sounds like you are on a great road, so just take whatever steps work well for you. I find that I need to be creative in my food choices and preparation because I looooooove cooking and being in the kitchen. Food for me is more than just nourishment. I feel like i have had to learn all over again what to do in the kitchen, but I have started looking at it as a new adventure instead of an overwhelming task.....

Melissa

Double Helix · 01-12-2008

Melissa, me too!

I'm such a foodie and chef and love to mess around in the kitchen that I find that presents the biggest challenge to my dream of eating simply.

I would just LOVE to do mono meals and the like because I know it would fast forward my healing in a big way. Sometimes I feel like the little rat in the movie Ratatouille. My taste buds have been completely spoiled (spoiled in a BAD way) from the SAD over the years!

ishtombi · 01-12-2008

hello all. i'm new to raw food as well. in my transition to raw, lately i've found that throughout the week, i've done pretty good with being about 90-100% raw (with the only real exception being a cup or two of hot tea). and i felt great. i've been a vegetarian for aboutr 3 years or so now and it didn't seem to much of a system shock.

it's when the weekend rolls around that i've hit a glitch and had some cooked food. for instance, this was my first week at mostly raw (again, the only "non-raw" exception was 2-3 cups of hot tea, caffeinated and non), then friday rolled around and we ordered a pizza. ran out of salad fixins and didn't soak/sprout teh seeds, nuts and dried fruit for some recipes i want to try. didn't feel like heading to the store, so a pizza hit the spot.

i noticed, however, that it didn't seem to taste quite as good and afterwards i could definately tell that i felt somewhat poorly. this morning i've been "off" feeling, if that makes sense. i'm attributing that to the dietary shock of the hot cheesy pizza last night. fixing some nice raw food tonight and preparing some things to fix tomorrow.

jroo · 01-14-2008

I'm also only 50-80% raw depending on the day, and I'm new to raw foods, but here are some thoughts on this thread based on my experience and what I've been reading:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ishtombi

ran out of salad fixins and didn't soak/sprout teh seeds, nuts and dried fruit for some recipes i want to try. didn't feel like heading to the store, so a pizza hit the spot.

A well stocked fridge is definitely helpful in a pinch. I way overstock on fruits that have a long shelf life like apples, grapefruit, and tangerines; and I try to buy more greens than I think I'll need. (Find a book that gives storage tips for greens to extend freshness.) That way my only excuse for eating cooked is that I wanted to. It's funny though how I can look at a fridge full of whole foods and only see the pizza, cheese and leftovers.

You could try keeping some dates and raw bars around. When I'm trying to resist the temptation to eat cooked (especially later in the evening), I find these can be helpful to minimize cravings. Raw bars seem expensive, but compare the price to getting ice cream from DQ or somewhere like that. I actually find that a handful of goji berries eaten with a pinch of cacao nibs can sometimes stop me in the middle of a binge of eating cooked food after cooked food at night.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double Helix

Right now you are getting 75% of the benefits of a raw food diet, and it that is fine with you then that's great.

I don't mean to split hairs, but my guess is that 75% raw actually equates to quite a bit less than 75% of the benefits of a raw food diet. The body has more protection in place to minimize the toxin intake from the cooked food, which would minimize the intake of the raw nutrients as well--especially if bad food combining is used. Plus, the body has to deal with new toxins as well as old.

On the other hand, I have felt so much better with my new mostly raw diet than I did on my 'everything from scratch' vegetarian diet. So, I would agree that 75% raw is great. The biggest downside is that it really slows down the detoxing. I'm getting tired of itchy spots and inflamed pores on my skin.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivyzeta

I still like to eat beans, rice and warm veggie soaps once in awhile.

Dr. Cousens has several sprouted grains recipes in the book "Conscious Eating". It's a $30 book, but it's a good scientific reference as well. He also has soup and oatmeal recipes that call for heating up to 115 degrees. You can test with a finger or buy a food thermometer.

Also, I have some 80% friends that will eat cooked soup that's meant for curing cancer (I can't remember the name, something like gherkin) because it's very bland and non-stimulating, so they feel it's less addicting.