My Raw Food Experiment

reply to post by sirnex


Ok let me break down this back and forth that you decided to jump into.

I said make enough for left overs to save cooking time.

He said I don't want to eat 4 day leftovers.

I said you don't want to eat anything older then 2 days.

You jumped in and said vegies in my fridge are great after 2 weeks.

I said I wouldn't want to eat a 2 week old vegie.

You said 2 week old vegies are more nutricious then a 4 day old cooked dinner.

I said I agree thats why I told him not to eat anything older then 2 days old.

Now you are caught up.

reply to post by muzzleflash


I definitely will not pay four times as much for an apple just because someone slapped that CERTIFIED ORGANIC sticker on it.

The store near where I live has a farmer's market section that actually gives the name of the specific farm where each item comes from, which is something I'm more likely to trust.

Obviously most everything produced on a farm or by a company is going to have nasty chemicals on or in it. I'm definitely not pretending that I'll be eating some magic SuperFood that has nothing but good stuff in it.

Based on the stuff I've read, buy local. Not organic. That way you can actually drive down the highway and take a look at where your food is really coming from.

As far as what I do for a living, I'm the IT/Web/Advertising Manager/Facilities Director for a couple of car dealerships. We're building a third store and my workload is only going to increase until the new one opens and the owner decides to hire another person to take on some of the responsibilities.

If a printer breaks, I get called. New employee, I get called. Billboard agent pays a visit, I need to be there. It's not a typical position so it's hard to break away and do something for myself.

The general feeling of illness was always there because my diet has always sucked. I'm a single guy who likes his gummy bears.

I'm 5'9 and weigh about 155 so I'm not overweight. I don't have diabetes or any other diet related health problems... I just eat crap so I feel like crap.

Maybe I'm exaggerating when I say ALL I eat is Taco Bell and jellybeans, but it illustrates my point. Because this job is taking up more and more of my time, I've been going for the prepackaged, faster, cheaper, more convenient items.

[edit on 17-7-2010 by Brentnauer]

reply to post by Mr. Tinkertrain

You said 2 week old vegies are more nutricious then a 4 day old cooked dinner.

I said I agree thats why I told him not to eat anything older then 2 days old.

Explain that part for me... I'm not following the logic there.

You mean any leftovers older than two day's or:

I said I wouldn't want to eat a 2 week old vegie.

reply to post by sirnex


No I will not explain anything any more. If you don't understand what was said then you will stay ignorant to that part of the conversation.

That DUDE with the crazy eyebrows just happens to be dead....
But on topic report back,this will be intresting

Day 1:

First day trying this, so far so good. Here's what I had:

Breakfast:
Juiced a banana, handful of blueberries, a nectarine and a plum.

Lunch:
Half an orange, a slice of artisan bread with cold-smoked salmon, lettuce and tomato. Also juiced two carrots and the other half of the orange.

Dinner:
Lettuce wrap with red bell pepper, sliced onion, half a sliced tomato and a little cilantro. Juiced two carrots and the other half of the tomato.

All in all, it seemed to take about the same amount of time to prepare as my previous diet. I don't feel much different, but I do think I feel a little more alert than usual.

First day is always boring.

reply to post by Brentnauer

Lunch:
Half an orange, a slice of artisan bread with cold-smoked salmon, lettuce and tomato. Also juiced two carrots and the other half of the orange.

I'm curious... Did you eat the salmon raw, or did you cook it? I'm myself afraid of trying raw salmon from my grocer.

Originally posted by Mr. Tinkertrain
reply to post by sirnex

 

No I will not explain anything any more. If you don't understand what was said then you will stay ignorant to that part of the conversation.

So you make two conflicting statements and refuse to clarify... wonderful!

reply to post by sirnex


It's cold-smoked, so it's technically raw... But cured.
www.smoker-cooking.com...

I applaud you in this new endeavor a lot of people will say don’t do it or do it this way.
Some people will site case numbers or throw stats at you.
Let’s throw all of the science aside and deal with just common sense.
We can all agree 400 years ago when the American Indian wanted some broccoli they put it into a pot of boiling water and cooked it until it was grey and limp correct?
Of course not they would eat a lot of things raw, and as far as meats go if you ate an animal that had been dead for a week on the side of a hill that would not be good.
But when you kill an animal you use items to preserve the meat cutting fat off, using salt, dehydrating Etc.
While I personally hate the vegetarian diet, I do see some merits to it.
I try to balance out my diet I still eat blood red beef steaks, as long as you hit the surface of the meat to a certain point with heat or even direct flame will kill all or most bacteria.
Instead of trying to save the world and change it I just try to eat whole foods.
Not the store as they are waaaaay overpriced.
I eat meats all sorts, I stay away from pre cut or processed, canned meats.
I eat cooked grains and some moderately cooked to raw vegetables or fruits.
The only absolute thing I see as a sin are the “boxed” foods.
Although they can sit in your pantry for years and still be good, at what cost to your health?
Take what you want and leave the rest and good luck with your diet
I look forward to your updates.

And to Muzzleflash, WTH was that dude/chick thing in that first video? WOW!
But seriously the people they chose for that snippet were worst case scenarios; I know several health nuts that lead perfectly normal productive lives, unlike the folks in the videos.

Originally posted by muzzleflash
I think you have been suckered into a "lifestyle" that is merely another CONSUMER at the store.

You think there is such a thing as "Healthy Food" but there is no such thing. There is almost no way to test your food to see what chemicals are in it. There is no way to know if your "health food" is contaminated.

Various organizations have tested health food products, and found just as much pesticides, chemical additives, diseases, contaminants etc, as any other food at the store.

Well said. That's the first thing that crossed my mind when I read the OP say that the first thing he or she did was run down to Harris Teeter.

The only raw food you can trust is the kind that you grow yourself, from seed and soil that YOU have selected.

reply to post by Brentnauer



Good for you!

I am on a similar path, diabetes has lead to other complications, and I am scheduled to have surgery this coming month to remove my gallbladder.

I am convinced that everything that has taken place with my health can be attributed to my diet.

I have recently thought about food more than ever, trying to figure out the way to good healthy eating. Cutting out any fast food is easy for me, I hate it anyway, we already grow fresh veggies, I just haven't been using them right. Too many casseroles. Also me and my hubby both work 3rd shift, makes it hard to figure out the menu and have time to cook.

But I am determined to do this, I started a couple of weeks ago, and have already lost 9 lbs, I am not eating any white breads, no potatoes other than sweet potatoes, and only 1 a week if that. I have already found ways to cut my casserole calories by more than 1/2 with a few changes, and more important I have cut out the fat from them.

I have no choice, I have to change the way I eat, or what I eat, or my condition will worsen. But I am happy to do it.

One suggestion for you:

Prepare as much food for yourself as possible on your off days, and store it. It is a real help to us to do that. It is hard to cook while working, and that makes the fast food come in handy, you don't want that.

Originally posted by Brentnauer
reply to post by sirnex

 

It's cold-smoked, so it's technically raw... But cured.
www.smoker-cooking.com...

Oooh OK... It's similar in chemical process as 'cooking; it with lemons then!

Haven't tried either method, a little to afraid to as it won't kill parasites and such. I know pre-frozen salmon that is meant to be consumed 'raw' is safe, but idk... still afraid to eat 'raw' meat.

reply to post by sirnex


Raw tuna is awesome, no curing needed. (Assuming its fresh, of course)

Other good "raw" animals, opihi and aku, (dried like jerky.) Mmmmmm.

Good luck on the raw food diet. I try to eat a lot of raw food, but I am too lazy and undisciplined to totally go all the way.

Here is a good raw salmon recipe too, its soooo good.

www.cyber-kitchen.com...

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
reply to post by sirnex

 

Raw tuna is awesome, no curing needed. (Assuming its fresh, of course)

Other good "raw" animals, opihi and aku, (dried like jerky.) Mmmmmm.

Good luck on the raw food diet. I try to eat a lot of raw food, but I am too lazy and undisciplined to totally go all the way.

Here is a good raw salmon recipe too, its soooo good.

www.cyber-kitchen.com...

Raw from the grocer's? They sometimes have tuna steak ... I like tuna salad, but I've yet to try the "steak" version.

Originally posted by sirnex

Raw from the grocer's? They sometimes have tuna steak ... I like tuna salad, but I've yet to try the "steak" version.

What I would do if you are inland, is to find a restaurant that serves raw or rare tuna and ask the waiter where they get it. Often times there is a secret fish market in town, (not really secret, but hardly anyone knows about it) where you can get super fresh fish, and they usually supply the good restaurants in town.

I would be careful with eating raw fish of any kind from the grocery store. Sometimes I wont even buy it to cook it, it smells and looks so old. It really depends where you are. Sometimes you get lucky though, and I have gotten some really nice tuna steaks from the regular grocery store. I just keep my eyes open and shop opportunistically rather than planning it and taking what they have.

If you cant get good fresh tuna, you could buy flash frozen, and thaw it and then heat up a pan and flip it a couple times just to brown up the outside, leaving the center rare. Frozen tuna doesnt taste as good all the way raw, but its not bad really rare.

I've been eating raw for quite some time now. I would like to give you some pointers and the reasons behind them. Remember that the greatest part of the digestive process occurs in the mouth.

1. Wash your food carefully. Think about where it came from, the stages it's life took to get where it is now, and then the job you wish it to do inside your body. Always rinse well with cold water and rub your hands over the entire surface of the whole plant part you intend to consume. This way, you prepare your digestive tract - from the mouth downward - for the process it will soon begin.

2. Eat food with your mouth. Do not juice it or grind it or cut it other than with your teeth. If there is not enough saliva stimulated in step 1, take a bite of the food and hold it under your tongue until the saliva starts to flow. At this point, start to chew slowly and thoughtfully. Swallow only the liquids, never even small chunks of food. This is not yet ready for digestion. Give an occasional thought to the food's purpose in your body.

3. Eat only when you are actively hungry. Don't eat because "it's time to eat". There is no such time. Listen to what your body is asking for and understand why it needs that thing.

4. Eat as few different foods in a day or week as you can. Stick to one thing so that its full benefits can be digested, felt and received by your body. Get to know the effects each food has on your particular body. No two people are the same.

5. Aim to eat local foods that are produced by the Earth in that specific season. I live in Helsinki, Finland. If I can do it, you all surely can too.

6. Drink water only when you're thirsty. Most of your fluid intake should come from the foods you eat. Really let your body communicate with you. You will be amazed at the change in just half a year eating this way.

7. Grow your own sprouts. They taste so much better than store-bought and are much better for you. Yes, I assure you, you will love sprouts once you learn to eat properly again.

Let food become a new world to you and your body. Eating this way costs a lot less and you will be more satisfied than ever in your life, I assure you.

There may be issues with organs detoxing, but just U2U me about that because I really don't follow threads forever. Do try this though. Start with apples this autumn. They are the perfect food to start a full body detox with and you will be clean by next spring.

reply to post by kevinunknown


I would say how the conspiracy is the "convieniencefood" industry and how in reality it is neither convienient or food .....

reply to post by CosmicEgg


hi cosmic , some good tips there , but with number 6 I think you may be a bit off , there is no way to take all your fluid needs in food esp in a hot climate...

Personally, I would recomend starting one step at a time rather than jumping straight into an extreme health diet, extreme changes often don't last very long.

Personally, what I started doing is to go online and find a quick and easy weeknight recipe, these are usually pretty inexpensive and take around 45 minutes to make.

A new favorite of mine is: www.epicurious.com...

I didn't want to add this as it sounds like some sort of plug, however, I feel it is a good example of the quick and easy yet healthy recipes you can make at home.

I always feel 10x better after eating one of these meals as well, as apposed to pastaroni or some other quick prepare meal.

It should be pretty easy to take a multi person recipe down to a one person recipe if you want to, but what I do for the sake of simplicity is keep the recipe for multiple people and that way I have enough for the next few days or so as leftovers. Personally, for me, it tastes and feels just as great on the third day eating it as the first day.

To switch it up, I choose my most important meal to have these more indepth recipes for, which for me is dinner, and then for breakfast I may have a toasted bagel with cream cheese, and for lunch I may still prepare a box of macoroni or hamburger helper, or have some of the dinner left overs.

I do get fast food on occasion also, but only maybe once or twice every two months, just because I like a nice artificial, fattening burger every once and a while.

I find that this is a quick, easy, empowering, and cheap way to eat.