how raw is 'high raw'?

[Bobbi Luvs U]

i'm not a raw foodie, but i really think that the raw food diet is really interesting and could possibly work for me. i've always eaten a lot of raw food, but somehow, switching to 100% (when i live with three other omnivores) seems pretty much impossible. it's a miracle i'm still a vegan!

so i'm wondering how raw you have to be to be considered high raw? i eat about one non raw meal a day, but i drink a lot of tea which is obviously not raw. also, my raw meal tends to be the largest meal of the day, even if it is mostly veggies that are lightly cooked. (and tofu or beans, occaisionally)
any thoughts or opinions are welcome, thank you!

[absentmindedfan]

Does it matter if you're 50% raw, 90% raw, 300% raw super-vegan? There's no prize for how 'raw' you are, it's up to you how much you want to/can eat raw.

Either way, it's good for you

[steven1222]

also, my raw meal tends to be the largest meal of the day, even if it is mostly veggies that are lightly cooked.

If you want to eat more raw food, stop cooking your veggies. Lightly cooked vegetables are not truly raw.

[Zero Cool]

From what I've read, if your not 100 percent raw your body will not detoxify and you will miss out the benifits that happen after that. Its a tough thing to do for me too. Especially when your doing it alone. Good luck to you.

[rawliana]

Do what you can. High raw usually means 85% and up.

If you keep your way of getting pleasure centred on food, it'll be tough. But if you find other ways to enjoy life, like getting pleasure from great achievements, it won't be tough at all.

All the best

[Hemlock]

If you keep your way of getting pleasure centred on food, it'll be tough. But if you find other ways to enjoy life, like getting pleasure from great achievements, it won't be tough at all.

That's the best advice I've ever heard - I'm not raw but I like that. Why should all pleasure be based around food, no wonder so many people are fat and unhealthy. We should be looking outwards to other things.

[RedWellies]

Yes, I agree, Hemlock. As kids we're given food "treats" for being good. It's crazy. I like food sometimes but mostly I think of it as fuel.

[Hemlock]

That really is the best way, good for you - I think I'll go and treat myself to an hour of gardening now

[health freak]

I totally agree. Food is just a fuel to sustain us to life... There's super fuel, medium fuel and junk fuel. super fuel for me is raw fruits and seeds while medium is everything cooked apart from animal products and fried food. As for the junk fuel no need to tell....

i try to be raw vegan but i manage the 90% of it (the percentage however is subjective ). Every day that i manage to eat 100% raw i feel so proud of myself.... But sometimes it's hard due to our unnatural cravings...

[sugarmouse]

I like that outlook too
I mean, I wouldnt eat food I didnt like the taste of, why do that when I like other foods, but some folk are far to food obsessed. I eat to live, not live to eat.
I have been meaning to ask, are folk Raw for health reasons alone, or are there any oter reasons?
Just curious

[health freak]

I think raw is predominantly for health reasons. As far as i am concerned at least. If one wants to protest against animal cruelty they just need to go vegan. Raw diet is all about health...

[Zero Cool]

It can also mean less packaging waste, and less energy used.

[health freak]

well, i've never thought about it! cool ;-)

[Healthy]

I have to disagree here about the detox and benefits of high raw.

You don't have to be 100 percent to detox and get benefits. I know, I experienced it myself.

Most of the "miracles" in my body happened within the first four months of eating between high raw and 100 percent (but not always 100 percent) ...

This is what happened to me back in 2003 when I first started my high raw journey:

My eye color got brighter, my skin was glowing, I've acquired more patience, more energy ... I looked better at 39 than I did in my 20s (I am now 44 and still look better than I did in my 20s).

I also feel that I'm getting smarter too. In my 20s I hated driving and got rid of my car in my early 30s due to fear. Well, I got a new car last year, and I'm driving fearlessly every day.

These are just an inkling of the miracles I'm experiencing due to raw foods.

Eating high raw, combined with other healthy things such as: yoga, exercise, a positive attitude, good friends, creativity, love are essential to the "raw miracles."

Some of the detox symptons I've experienced after giving up processed foods were: leg shaking, eyebrow twitching, eczema, facial break-outs, funny tastes in my mouth, extreme euphoria, some hair-shedding ... these symptoms happened between one week and six months.

Of course we're all different and will have different experiences, but I don't want people to think they won't reap benefits if they don't eat 100 percent raw, because I sure did

[cedarblue]

You don't have to be 100 percent to detox and get benefits. I know, I experienced it myself.

.....
Eating high raw, combined with other healthy things such as: yoga, exercise, a positive attitude, good friends, creativity, love are essential to the "raw miracles."

.....
Of course we're all different and will have different experiences, but I don't want people to think they won't reap benefits if they don't eat 100 percent raw, because I sure did

i'd agree with you healthy.

[Healthy]

Thanks Cedar

Can you share your experiences with us? I love to hear about this stuff

[cedarblue]

well, in my experience, when i became interested in raw, i thought there was a right way to do it. then i found lots of people on their sites doing it differently. i purhased a few ebooks, signed up to lots of daily/weekly etc email letters, read lots of blogs and now i realise that i can make my own way which i will trust more because only i know myself the best. i take on board that info which seems sensible and safe and reject that which doesn't. but i'm always ready to listen to others and then weigh their experience up with my gut instinct.

thats my way really

[Healthy]

Well put Cedar!

And raw is really working for you -- your profile picture is lovely. You remind me of the actress Linda Harrison

[ellaminnowpea]

I think I'd be considered medium raw...

Anyway, I've heard that 'high raw' is either 85% or 70% raw foods. As many others have said, it probably doesn't matter if you're considered high raw, as long as you eare eating healthily and doing your best.

[belleadonna]

I agree with "Healthy" too. I went on the Hallelujah Diet when I first became a vegan which is about 85% raw. I went through some serious detox. Major flu symptoms!! But after all of the mucus was out of me, I felt better than I had ever in my life.
For the first time, I didn't experience any sinus problems and I had had problems with since I was a kid.
I went back to eating a SAD diet and paid the price. Ugh. Horrible migraines from sinuses and I had to take alot of OTC meds for my sinuses.
Now I am back to 85% raw and getting back to HEALTH.

[Zero]

I agree with "Healthy" too. I went on the Hallelujah Diet when I first became a vegan which is about 85% raw. I went through some serious detox. Major flu symptoms!! But after all of the mucus was out of me, I felt better than I had ever in my life.
For the first time, I didn't experience any sinus problems and I had had problems with since I was a kid.
I went back to eating a SAD diet and paid the price. Ugh. Horrible migraines from sinuses and I had to take alot of OTC meds for my sinuses.
Now I am back to 85% raw and getting back to HEALTH.

It is better to find a level that you find sustainable and then you can always improve on it slowly if you want to or feel the desire to.

Trying to dive into 100% raw straight away and constantly going back and forth between cooked binges and raw is worse for your body than say going 75% raw and maintaining.

By increasing the amount slowly and setting goals for yourself you can control your own detox and work at your own pace.

[Healthy]

Zero, you're so knowledgable you should write a book on raw!

[Zero]

Zero, you're so knowledgable you should write a book on raw!

Thanks for the compliment, Healthy.

I probably could write a book, but I could only write it from my own personal experiences and people are all different.
I also feel that my way is so simplistic in comparison to those that have written books on the subject who focus on "Raw Gourmet", it may be disapointing to many people.

Although I suppose my journey and up's and down's and cleansing experiences might make an interesting read, with the master cleanse and various other fasts, such as water fasting.

[Healthy]

Oh that would DEFINITELY interest me. I love reading about the simplistic raw ways. That's how I did it was I was 100 percent, experimenting with dry fasting and mono eating.

Reading about simplicity is certainly more inspiring. The dehydrated gourmet stuff is a nice treat (or snack even), but not as a daily diet ... it's waaay too heavy. Cooked vegan food, to me, is lighter than gourmet raw.

Each journey is fascinating in its own right ... I love to read the different approaches of various raw foodists. I really enjoyed Paul Nisson's book -- was it "Raw Knowledge" that had the interviews in the back section with 25 raw foodists, all having different ideas/ways/etc.

So, I say go for it!

[missbettie]

is a mono fast just eating one type of food? Like the apple fast you were talking about Zero?

[Zero]

is a mono fast just eating one type of food? Like the apple fast you were talking about Zero?

Yes it can be, or if I you say just eat 6 bananas over the course of the morning and wait a couple of hours before eating anything else, it makes digestion less complicated so your body is more efficient.

[missbettie]

very interesting...

I can't imagine eating 6 bananas in one day though....fruit always seems to make me nauseus...

[Zero]

very interesting...

I can't imagine eating 6 bananas in one day though....fruit always seems to make me nauseus...

Well, I never said you had to eat bananas, it was just an example

[missbettie]

lol oh. I can't wait until the summer mmmmm strawberries!! oh so beautiful strawberries!!

[ellaminnowpea]

Mmmmm strawberries and watermelon are awesome! I remember when I first started raw eating over the summer... I would eat a 1/4 watermelon in one sitting. Then I'd have a go at thepint of blueberries and strawberries. I miss summerrrrr!!

[cedarblue]

but I could only write it from my own personal experiences and people are all different.
I also feel that my way is so simplistic in comparison to those that have written books on the subject who focus on "Raw Gourmet", it may be disapointing to many people.

but thats the way most of these 'guru' types do it - from their own point of view.
i think you underestimate the number of people who would be happy to learn, start and continue with a simple path, with ideas on simple combinations. when you start to look into raw how many people actually have a dehydrator or top notch blender? mostly its some knives, maybe a food processor, maybe a slicer, maybe a hand blender.
you could produce it as an ebook or it a small softback/leaflet format.

[Zero]

but thats the way most of these 'guru' types do it - from their own point of view.
i think you underestimate the number of people who would be happy to learn, start and continue with a simple path, with ideas on simple combinations. when you start to look into raw how many people actually have a dehydrator or top notch blender? mostly its some knives, maybe a food processor, maybe a slicer, maybe a hand blender.
you could produce it as an ebook or it a small softback/leaflet format.

Well maybe, it is something I have considered. I certainly wouldn't want to be like the "Guru's" because I don't agree with many of them.
It's something I may do in the future and I should start keeping a better log of my experience starting now, but I don't feel like I am far enough down the path on my own raw journey to do it yet.

Not being negative, I just feel that there is much more to learn yet.

Thanks for the vote of confidence though.

[missbettie]

ur too modest Zero.

[belleadonna]

Well, I am on Day 7 of all raw. Doing good so far. The only symptom so far is fatigue which is not suprising since I was a caffeine addict. I used to have 2 energy drinks a day and 5 mugs of coffee.

I have been eating simply. Fruits and veggies, minimum nuts and seeds. I keep the fats low. The amount of fats that some raw fooders eat is staggering. I know that we need fats but not 60% worth a day. Fat is fat!!

[Zero]

Well, I am on Day 7 of all raw. Doing good so far. The only symptom so far is fatigue which is not suprising since I was a caffeine addict. I used to have 2 energy drinks a day and 5 mugs of coffee.

I have been eating simply. Fruits and veggies, minimum nuts and seeds. I keep the fats low. The amount of fats that some raw fooders eat is staggering. I know that we need fats but not 60% worth a day. Fat is fat!!

Thats great Belleadonna . Well done!

I can imagine you'd would have some withdrawl from all that caffeine, wow.

Do you feel like you have tons of energy now?

Sounds like you have found a way of eating that works well for you, however I wouldn't be too afraid of fats, raw vegetable fats in their natural state are nourishing to the body, so not all fats are equal.

People often look at me like I have gone mad when I eat a big avocado or a few small ones!

Personally I thrive on any kind of fruit, some people find that these heavy raw gourmet meals with lots of different ingredients and fats work well for them and thats fine.

Just do what works best for you, listen to your body and what it needs.

Have a great one!

[belleadonna]

Thanks Zero.
I like Doug Grahams 80/10/10 plan. I feel sluggish and bloated when I eat alot of fat. And I HATE avocados. I know, everyone likes them, BUT ME!!

Not tons of energy yet. Still suffering the affects of years of caffeine abuse. I also drank lots of sugar free soda. I am not sleeping that well yet. Probably another side affect of caffeine withdrawal. I will keep you up to date.
I am keeping a blog in rawfoodtalk.com if you are a member there.
Off to the gym.
Later!!

[Cup'O'Tea]

I'm intimidated by all the raw gourmet stuff. I'd be perfectly happy just eating fruits and vegetables as is. I will, however get a raw 'un'cookbook to use when and if boredom strikes.

[Zero]

Thanks Zero.
I like Doug Grahams 80/10/10 plan. I feel sluggish and bloated when I eat alot of fat. And I HATE avocados. I know, everyone likes them, BUT ME!!

Not tons of energy yet. Still suffering the affects of years of caffeine abuse. I also drank lots of sugar free soda. I am not sleeping that well yet. Probably another side affect of caffeine withdrawal. I will keep you up to date.
I am keeping a blog in rawfoodtalk.com if you are a member there.
Off to the gym.
Later!!

Cool, the energy will come and soon you will sleep soundly and when you wake up there will be no sluggishness at all, it will be like someone flipped a switch and presto! You're awake

I am not critical of many things in the raw movement, however be careful of that website. I have seen people get into a mess after using that site as it is geared to selling you their books/doctorin.

I got kicked off that site after they outlawed anyone talking about or making reference to Fruitarianism.

Just stick to doing things your own way. You know YOUR body best.

Have a great day.

[belleadonna]

Yeah, I know that rawfoodtalk can be a problem. Too much conflicting info and way into high fat raw vegan. I know of one other fruitarian that got kicked off of there too. But, it is Alissa's site and she has the right to do what she wants and she is promoting her ideas.

That's why I like Doug Grahams plan. It's so common sense and easy.

Beginning raw fooders could easily get messed up with all of the differing views out there. I think that we should listen more to our bodies since we are each unique and who knows our bodies better than ourselves as you say.

I don't plan on buying any raw food cookbooks (misnomer). You don't need a cookbook to insert fruit into mouth and chew!!

[Zero]

Yeah, I know that rawfoodtalk can be a problem. Too much conflicting info and way into high fat raw vegan. I know of one other fruitarian that got kicked off of there too. But, it is Alissa's site and she has the right to do what she wants and she is promoting her ideas.

That's why I like Doug Grahams plan. It's so common sense and easy.

Beginning raw fooders could easily get messed up with all of the differing views out there. I think that we should listen more to our bodies since we are each unique and who knows our bodies better than ourselves as you say.

Absolutely, I have seen so many people try to take someone elses ideas and experiences on as their own and then wonder why they don't feel good, the simple fact is these guru's are not you and are not in a position to tell you what works best for you.

There are no magic formulas or secrets, people keep looking for external information about what they should be doing, yet it's all right there inside you, you just have to learn to listen to your body.

Obviously some of the information can be useful, just don't put blind faith in it for your own sake.

Some of the guru's have tried fruitarianism and failed due to heavy detox issues or other reasons, then of course they blame the diet, kind of like when omni's who try to go veg*n and fail, they always blame the diet too.

I don't plan on buying any raw food cookbooks (misnomer). You don't need a cookbook to insert fruit into mouth and chew!!

Yeah, people often miss that it really can be that simple if you want it to be

[trey]

US government standards allow food to be labelled raw that has been heated to a higher degree than what a raw foodist considers raw. Therefore it's very difficult for someone to be 100% of anything without producing all of their food from seed/scratch. One of the biggest things raw foodists desired when I worked at the raw food bar, was the enzymes that are already present in the food, which are easily able to break down the food. These enzymes are lost when an item is heated beyond 116, thus causing you to use you (some experts say) limited, non-replenishable enzymes, thus causing you too age faster. Lots of raw foodists attribute this enzyme presences to the atnti-aging and curative powers of the raw foods diet

[Zero]

US government standards allow food to be labelled raw that has been heated to a higher degree than what a raw foodist considers raw. Therefore it's very difficult for someone to be 100% of anything without producing all of their food from seed/scratch. One of the biggest things raw foodists desired when I worked at the raw food bar, was the enzymes that are already present in the food, which are easily able to break down the food. These enzymes are lost when an item is heated beyond 116, thus causing you to use you (some experts say) limited, non-replenishable enzymes, thus causing you too age faster. Lots of raw foodists attribute this enzyme presences to the atnti-aging and curative powers of the raw foods diet

Indeed, thats why most of my food is from the produce section, enzyme rich.

[belleadonna]

I just got back from Whole Foods in Raleigh, NC. We live about 70 miles from Raleigh. I got some really nice produce. Fresh plum, nectarines, bananas, clementines, carrots (juicing), and they had 2 mangos for $3. I bought 6 of them. They are not fully ripe though. What's the best way to ripen them? Just leave them out or put them in a paper bag??

We even ate at Whole Foods so that I could have a plate full of fruit for lunch.

I bought some dates to. Big fat juicy Medjool dates. I love them. I made a pig of myself and ate 8 of them.

My love affair with fruit goes on!!

[Zero]

I just got back from Whole Foods in Raleigh, NC. We live about 70 miles from Raleigh. I got some really nice produce. Fresh plum, nectarines, bananas, clementines, carrots (juicing), and they had 2 mangos for $3. I bought 6 of them. They are not fully ripe though. What's the best way to ripen them? Just leave them out or put them in a paper bag??

We even ate at Whole Foods so that I could have a plate full of fruit for lunch.

I bought some dates to. Big fat juicy Medjool dates. I love them. I made a pig of myself and ate 8 of them.

My love affair with fruit goes on!!

Yeah, put the mangos in a bag. Dates are ok just think of the crappy processed sugar and chemicals you could be eating instead, yuk!

[missbettie]

how do you guys eat mangos? I find them hard to cut up...

[Healthy]

If it's organic, I just bite into it, skin and all. I've been told the skin is toxic, but my instincts tell me it's okay

[Zero]

If it's organic, I just bite into it, skin and all. I've been told the skin is toxic, but my instincts tell me it's okay

I didn't realize there was any other way to eat them

[ellaminnowpea]

I peel my mangoes, I thought we couldn't eat the skin. Ah well. Mangoes are amazing, I eat one nearly everyday, even if they are like $1.50 each!

[Zero]

I peel my mangoes, I thought we couldn't eat the skin. Ah well. Mangoes are amazing, I eat one nearly everyday, even if they are like $1.50 each!

If you were a primative human with no utensils or a monkey, how else would you do it?

[missbettie]

I couldn't imagine eating the skin!!!! perhaps I shall try it but if I get sick I am coming after you first healthy!!