My Raw Food Experiment

It is very funny to hear people say anything about pesticides.
What ,..you dont think the companies that supply the big produce companies dont use pesticides...'.
Monsanto,.. is one of the worlds largest pesticide companies sell GMO seeds to farmers,. which in turn use their pesticides to help crop yields.. I'd be more afraid of the food chain grocery stores if your worried about pesticides

I've been following this thread with great interest. I went mostly raw 2 months ago. I immediately dropped 20 pounds, all my allergies went away, and my skin and nails look and feel like a newborn babies skin.

There are a couple things I have been doing nobody has mentioned so far.
1. I have been reading why it works:
The Ph Miracle Diet by Robert and Shelley Young
Cleanse and Purify Thyself by Richard Anderson
Tissue Cleansing through Bowel Management by Bernard Jensen

2. I was worried about detoxing too quickly so I drink 2 P&B shakes a day. One in the morning and one before I go to bed. (Bentonite clay and psyllium husk powder mixed with water)

3. Switched to real sodium salt(sea salt) instead of using NaCl

4. Limited amounts of meat, dairy, frozen or canned foods.

5. No alcohol, soda, or coffee.

6. No microwaving-makes all food acidic.

7. Went off all medications-For me just allergy meds and ibuprofen

8. drink green superfood supplement in my water.

Some people say take it slow. That's not my personality so I went with drastic changes all at once. I was afraid it wouldn't "stick" but every time I have cheated it just hasn't been satisfying enough for me to go back to my old habits.

I wish the OP luck, it seems there are alot of people just recently really looking into what they are feeding their body, could there be some larger reason for that?

I would love to hear what others are doing to combat the effects of a typical western diet.

S1J1A1

When worrying about aluminium and teflon i forgot to mention another alternative, enamel cookware. The enamel used on cookware is usually the vitreous kind, it's completely non toxic, chemically unreactive and isn't affected by heating. If you want cookware that really doesn't leech anything then cast iron and enamel are two of the best options.

The only problem is that they tend to be really heavy. So for larger pans you should look out for the ones with two handles. Even if you have strong arms now you might not when you're older and these pans really will last a lifetime

[edit on 18-7-2010 by ImaginaryReality1984]

reply to post by S1J1A1


Star for you, those sound like great ideas!

I cut out soda several weeks ago and my skin immediately improved. I only drink water and maybe some tea once in a while.

Transitioning from sweet drinks to plain water can be kind of a challenge... It helped to buy some of those water bottle drink mix packets and use them less and less until you just prefer water.

I think the "detox" effect is slowly starting to kick in. Had a slight headache earlier but it went away. Not looking forward to that part, but once I come out the other side I know I'll feel so much better.

Anyone curious about the detox effect should take a look at this:


Source: rawfoodswitch.com...

[edit on 18-7-2010 by Brentnauer]

reply to post by ImaginaryReality1984



I happen to have some enamalware, Martha Steward in fact, problem is I don't cook very much, lucky in that there is an organic Chinese restaurant near by with great food and they make most everything with tofu and brown rice. I like very hot and spicy food, now that I am talking about if think I will call and order, too bad they don't deliver but it's only a few blocks away.

Originally posted by Brentnauer
I cut out soda several weeks ago and my skin immediately improved. I only drink water and maybe some tea once in a while.

A mixture of water and green tea is a good idea. Green tea is very good for you, black tea can be good as well, just use less of it.

Originally posted by Brentnauer
I think the "detox" effect is slowly starting to kick in. Had a slight headache earlier but it went away. Not looking forward to that part, but once I come out the other side I know I'll feel so much better.

The "detox" effect is a myth. It's more to do with your blood sugar levels. Without the constant peaks and troughs your body basically goes a little crazy until it evens out so you will probably suffer from some headaches and serious sugar cravings. If you start to feel a little wooly headed that's also a sign of low blood sugar.

The only way to counter it is just keep going and wait for it to sort itself. The idea that your body detoxifies as she puts it is ridiculous. If your body did not eliminate toxins you would be dead and going a lovely yellow colour.

[edit on 18-7-2010 by ImaginaryReality1984]

reply to post by Aquarius1


I don't know which restruant you are using of course but you might want to be careful. Even the so called organic places often don't use all organic ingredients and even the ones that do often use hydrogenated vegetable fats to save some money.

Slapping an organic label on a restruant is a money earner

Yea those skeletons look healthy, I think I'll stick to my beef, beans, potatos and beer.

UPDATE: I just reread the OP's post and saw that this is a temporary experiment. In that case, I think that this is a great and achievable goal and should be a positive experience.

In the end, if you feel you want to continue the raw foods diet, than good for you, but even if you don't you will still probably be more prepared to maintain a healthier diet than the one you had been eating before.

[edit on 18-7-2010 by beansanmash]

Day 2:

Alright, day two is over! Here's what I had:

Breakfast:
Juiced a peach, nectarine and a lime. Didn't think to peel the lime (duh) so it was a little bitter, but a packet of stevia fixed that. Spread the leftover pulp on a slice of bread.

Lunch:
Juiced a green apple and an orange (which I remembered to peel). Ate a red apple, a plum and a slice of artisan bread.

Dinner:
Warmed (not cooked) a portabello mushroom. Brushed a little virgin olive oil on it with various spices mixed in. Put it between a couple slices of bread with half a sliced tomato and lettuce. I normally have a major aversion to mushrooms but this was delicious.

Dessert:
Mushed up a couple bananas in a bowl with a packet of stevia and some vanilla extract. Added a handful of raspberries and blueberries.

I was feeling a little weird after breakfast, sort of a headache and then a weird feeling in my gut. I'm wondering if it's the beginning of detox, or I was just too retarded to peel the lime. Probably the latter. Haven't had to go number two yet.

Regarding the detox period... Does anyone have resources on whether this is actually a myth or not? Someone above mentioned it's a blood-sugar thing, but every raw foods community I've visited states it as fact. I don't doubt my body will react to the sudden change of diet but it's nice to be prepared.

Goodnight!

reply to post by beansanmash


Aside from a few cravings for the old stuff, I'm actually really enjoying this. If I feel like I can maintain it after the 30 days I'll probably invest in a nice food dehydrator... There's a recipe for eggplant bacon that doesn't sound too terrible.

You're right though, if nothing else I'll walk away from this with much better dietary habits.

reply to post by Brentnauer



I would like to recommend that you abandon the juicer and stick with a blender. When you juice something you basically remove a ton of good nutrients along with the soluble and insoluble fibre which are both very good for you. Also juicing tends to separate out the simple sugars from the complex ones so basically the fruit juice spikes your blood sugar in the same way as a can of soft drink.

Blending is better

reply to post by ImaginaryReality1984


Very good advice, I sold my expensive juicer on Craigs List a few years go, love my blender, it is quite old now but still works great.

Oh and if that is the entire daily consumption then you are woefully under consuming, you need more calories than that. Some protein would help as well.

[edit on 18-7-2010 by ImaginaryReality1984]

Good for you my friend! S&F just for that! I hope you can stick with it.... I've tried this alot myself... society in general makes it almost impossible. Hell, if I could just break away from the damned alcohol, I would be in much better shape. Anyhow, I'll keep ya in mind when I'm making food choices... We could all do better... soooooooo much better. Hell you may start a band wagon A little energy can go a long way if focused properly... Best of luck!

Originally posted by Aquarius1
reply to post by ImaginaryReality1984

 

Very good advice, I sold my expensive juicer on Craigs List a few years go, love my blender, it is quite old now but still works great.

Yep blenders are better for you as they keep all of the nutrients and fibre and they are far easier to clean Juicers are a nightmare to clean.

Originally posted by ImaginaryReality1984
reply to post by Brentnauer

 

I would like to recommend that you abandon the juicer and stick with a blender. When you juice something you basically remove a ton of good nutrients along with the soluble and insoluble fibre which are both very good for you. Also juicing tends to separate out the simple sugars from the complex ones so basically the fruit juice spikes your blood sugar in the same way as a can of soft drink.

Blending is better

Yeah man, the good stuf is what most ppl throw away...peelings, skins, rhines and so forth. Thats where most of your nutrients reside. Plus with a juicer there is alot of waste..... lol its kinda like cutting out the T-bone and keeping the fat

Originally posted by Brentnauer

Regarding the detox period... Does anyone have resources on whether this is actually a myth or not? Someone above mentioned it's a blood-sugar thing, but every raw foods community I've visited states it as fact. I don't doubt my body will react to the sudden change of diet but it's nice to be prepared.

Goodnight!

Sorry man but raw fooders are an odd group of people who read books by nutritionists, not dieticians. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist and that's why you should be careful with their advice. All i can tell you is that i've been eating healthy since i was 12-14, i was a martial arts instructor for a number of years and did some decent bodybuilding. I know a hell of a lot about eating healthy and i researched it with proper scientific papers.

Detox is a myth, if your liver wasn't detoxing your body you would be dead. The headaches and other symptoms are your body dealing with the changes in blood sugar and the various hormonal changes which will occur with a lower meat intake.

BTW dude.. if you realy want a detox. Try a good water fast for 48 hrs. then go back to eating clean. I try to do this once a month. It seems to help my body expel alot of the horrible intake of sodium we get in modern foods. I have read that It's very healthy to do this frequently. Assuming our species were hunter/gatherers... we used to starve for a bit, then feast when we found food. Supposedly your body handles the starving as detox mode... Dont quote me please. I'm no Dr. Just saying, It works for me... seems sound enough.

Hey, at least Charlotte should have some descent whole food selections.

[edit on 7/19/10 by Dracan6]