In the other thread, several people expressed interest in trying out raw foods and doing a challenge in April. Myself and others maintain that 30 days eating 100% raw foods is nothing less than miraculous and will change you forever. I would love to have many people join in and experience this incredible feeling.

So, who's in? It's time to start preparing your grocery list and putting together meal plans (if you want them).

The first week is difficult as change always is. We are used to having warm or cooked foods so training the mind and body not to expect them is challenging in the beginning. Maybe if you don't' think you can go 30 days, you can commit to trying it for only a week. I think after a week you would probably want to continue on for 30 days anyway.

I think the easiest thing to do for your first week is eat whatever you want that is raw. pick your favorite fruits and vegetables and munch on them whenever you are hungry. pick some raw nuts, seeds, and avocado. they will give you "substance" that will help you feel full and satisfied. Of course there are some foods that will make you feel better than others and you can expiriment with that later, but I found just getting your body acclimated by eating whatever comes to mind and sounds good is the easiest way to get going.

I think the easiest thing to start with is fruit/veggie smoothies. You must not use storebought juices (they are cooked in processing). I sometimes use water, but frequently only use the fruit. Mixing in a peeled orange usually gives enough extra moisture for everything to blend up nicely. I've also added water on occasion. You can buy a whole heap of Kale or other dark green and mix tons in with a smoothie and you cannot taste it. Start small and add more as your tastebuds get used to it. I started with fresh greens and moved on to Vitamineral green because it has so many amazing foods in it. I highly recommend it, but fresh greens work well too.

I'm going to try it for a week while I'm at home and not doing anything other than uni work. Starting on monday.
Does milk count as 'raw'?

no! milk is not raw!
this reminded me of my dad who once asked me "are M&M's raw?"
lol

unless you make your own "raw milk" with raw almonds and water in a blender...
or any other raw nut

Is it Raw or not?
By John Kohler

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, "Is (fill in the product name) raw?" and "Is there a list of raw foods that I can eat? Well I do not know of any such lists, but this article will explain my answer to the above questions.
First, I think we need to take a step back, and ask yourself, "Why I am I eating raw?" For most, it is to improve or maximize health.

So the questions should be:

1. "Is it healthy or not healthy?"
2. "Is it raw (processed at under 118 degrees?"
3. "Has the food been processed?"

I can think of many things that would be considered "raw, but I would NEVER eat it. Such as raw meat and dairy. In my opinion Meat and Dairy are both not healthy to eat. While it is true they do some benefits, I believe the harm that comes to the body is much greater. With that aside, I will break it down into many three categories: foods to maximize, foods to include some, and foods to minimize or exclude. The information is based on my research and based on being raw for over half a decade. I always recommend eating organic whenever possible.

On a raw foods diet, you want to maximize your intake of the following raw food:

• FRESH FRUITS and FRESH VEGETABLES. - Any fresh fruits or vegetables. The fresher the better. If you can pick the produce yourself, that's the best. The next best would be direct from a farmer or farmers market, next best from a health food store, and last from a "chain store". here is why- once the food is picked, the vitality starts to lessen. If the produce is refrigerated, the vitality is lessened even further.
  
• FRESH SPROUTS - you can sprout your own seeds yourself, and eat these life-force rich foods while they are still living and growing!

Next as a raw foodist you may want to consume some of the following: (concentration should be on FRESH fruits and vegetables)

• Nuts and Seeds - Many nuts are raw and go through no heat processing. Always purchase nuts in the shell whenever possible, since once nuts are out of the shell, they start to oxidize, and can go rancid. Some nuts are heat processed in the process of getting the nut out of the shell. There is an excellent article, "What every raw fooder should know about nuts" in the article section that I suggest you read. Most "raw" cashew nuts are not really raw.
  
• Young Coconuts - Young coconuts are a excellent source of electrolytes, the best purified water and a good source of fat and calcium.
  
• Dried Fruits- did you know that most dried fruits in the natural food store are COOKED? Yes!! They are. I have spoken with many manufacturers and distributors of dried fruits and even "dried tomatoes" and asked them the temperature at which their product is dried. Usually it is well over 200 degrees. They say this proudly, because its not too feasible to dry products at an acceptable temperature to a raw foodist (around 118 degrees or less) because there would be an inconsistent and "ugly" looking product. So cut down on the dried foods! Usually only "sun dried" foods would be considered "raw" since they are dried by the sun.
  
• Dates - Dates are generally sun dried, if good organic dates are purchased. Many "conventional" dates can be dried and then steamed to make them look "plump" and moist. The Date People and Flying Disc Ranch are my two favorite sources of dates.
  
• Sea Weeds - Sea weeds such as nori, dulse, Laver, sea lettuce, kombu purchased from a "family" business are usually sundried. Seaweeds from "asia or china" may or may not be sun dried. Sometimes they are roasted, and it may not be mentioned on the package. This should be eaten minimally
  
• Dried vegetables, herbs and spices for flavoring - I have not checked to see if these are in fact considered "raw" or if they have been heat treated in the drying process. Whenever possible dry your own herbs and spices, and use as sparingly as possible.
  
• Olives - You may want to consume some raw olives. Raw olives are hard to find. The best raw olives are sun dried raw olives, that have not been preserved with salt. Most olives are preserved with salt. Most canned olives are cooked in the canning process. Most olives are packed in a vinegar or lactic acid brine, which I do not recommend.
  
• Green Powders - I believe a good green food powder can be helpful as long as it is not heat processed, considered "raw" and dried at a low temperature, and do not include toxic additives. Some examples would be dried wheatgrass, blue green algae, barleygreen, etc.
  
• Raw Honey - I do agree that raw honey is probably the best concentrated sweetener to use, I still reccomend minimizing concentrated sweeteners such as honey. Get a honey that includes the pollen and propolis, a more "whole" food.
  
• Frozen Fruits - From the manufacturers I have talked to, it seems that most frozen fruits are not blanched before freezing, so they could be considered "raw". Although its best to eat FRESH FRUITS instead, or freeze fruits yourself.

Things to minimize or cut out completely. The items listed below are many times included in a raw food diet. I believe they can be helpful while transitioning to a raw food diet, but have no place in a long term health building raw food diet.

• Table salt and celtic sea salt- While table salt is much worse than celtic sea salt, many raw foodists believe that celtic salt is good for them. I believe it is not. This is primarily due to my research on the potassium/sodium balance. Each cell in our body needs to maintain a ratio of sodium to potassium and in the "standard American diet" has the sodium ratio way too high. I also have ill effects when I eat any salt. I believe we get enough sodium from fruits, vegetables and seaweed. (Use seaweed instead)
  
• Nama Shoyu and Braggs Liquid Aminos - Once again these items show up often in raw food recipes, and many people think them "healthy". Try drinking a bottle of the stuff, and tell me how you feel. I bet you will feel sick to your stomach! These are highly processed foods that do not occur naturally in nature. (try using seaweed instead)
  
• Maple Syrup - Maple syrup is another ingredient considered as "raw" by many. Based on my research all maple syrup is cooked, so it is not raw. I have not sucked on a maple tree to determine if FRESH maple syrup is a viable food source at this point. Use fresh barhi dates (which to me taste like maple syrup - there are many different varieties of dates to try!)
  
• Agave Nectar - While this "concentrated sweetner" is very popular in raw cuisine, I believe it has no place in a truly "raw" diet. This is primarily due to the fact that it is a concentrated sweetner. The "nectar" is collected or "cooked" out of the agave plant, then must be "cooked" or dehydrated down, much like "boiling down" maply syrup. There is even some rumors about "corn syrup" and other sweeteners being added to "raw" agave nectar to give it the sweet taste. In any case, it is a processed, product, and not a raw, whole food in my opinion.
  
• Wine - Wine can be raw, but while it may have some health benefits - I say drink FRESH made grape juice instead. Exclude wine from the raw food diet. Alcohol does kill brain cells.
  
• Apple Cider Vinegar - Vinegar contains acetic acid. Acetic acid is a toxic chemical. If you drink a whole bottle of vinegar, I bet you wont feel too good. Did you know acetic acid is used as a pesticide?
  
• Bottled oils - Many raw foodists include oils in their diet. I believe this should be minimized for a few reasons. Oil does not occur naturally in nature. Once oil is extracted, it generally goes bad (rancid) very quickly. It is super concentrated and hard for your body to break down. Try drinking a bottle of oil, and tell me how you feel. Probably like you want to sleep - its your body having to work overtime to digest the oil. Yes, even if its cold pressed an organic. Eat the food instead- i.e.: eat olives instead of olive oil. Eat coconuts instead of coconut oil. Eat ground flax seeds instead of flax oil.
  
• Frozen Vegetables - I have confirmed with several major manufacturers of frozen vegetables, that they are blanched before they are quick frozen, so these would not qualify as raw.

what about unpasteurized milk? lots of farms around here so we actually get fresh staright from the cow milk.

__________________
to the winch, wench.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dotty wokker and laugh about it all you want. you wont be laughing when my friends dos the fuck out of your hard drive.

it's technically raw, but like the article says, it's not super heatlhy for you. imo, if you want to drink raw milk, go for it, but i wouldn't.

when i was a kid my dad brought us to a farm and we saw all the milking and whatnot. that bastard had me drink that milk, like i was all wilderness girl and shit. i'm from the fucking city.

i'm down for the challenge.

__________________
[ o ]==#

Yesterday was history
Tomorrow is a mystery
Today is a gift - that's why it's called the present
- Babatunde Olatunji (and Kung Fu Panda)

LOL dude, the first time i came up here to visit, the milk was in like a glass jar with a spout. he kept swearing to me up and down that its good and not diseased or anything but i just wouldnt/couldnt drink it. i finally gave in a few years later and have to say its not bad at all. the thing that REALLY grossed me out about it was the small like, film like chunks of fat floating in it. he siad you have to shake it before you pour a glass.

__________________
to the winch, wench.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dotty wokker and laugh about it all you want. you wont be laughing when my friends dos the fuck out of your hard drive.

i'll do it i guess.

i'll subscribe and see how well it goes with others. i lasted throughout summer break as a (rather successful) vegan last year because i had loads of time to carefully plan and pick out my meals but then completely stopped when uni started

i'll give it a go.
*subscribes*

i really hope there are no complicated 'recipes' to follow and it's mostly all about salads, fruits and nuts (i really do hate nuts and seeds but i've eaten them before).

i have a couple of questions though...
are we allowed essene bread?
also should we take vitamin and mineral supplements or supplements of any kind?

i'm off to the vege store soon to stock up on munchables.

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do you have to be a vegetarian? i mean what about sashimi? this way of life has interested me. i don't think i'll participate, but i will read the posts and hopefully learn more.

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vinaigrette

is gum raw? i need gum dammit

what about coffee and splenda?

those are the only things i would hate to part with... oh yea and it will also be hard to say goodbye to eggplant parmesan over cappelini with meatballs

i'm into this too, although i just heard of it today, and for today it is too late. but it is a pagan holiday...

guess i get to start to morrow...

i'm psyched! i can't wait to get the glow and i'm feeling soooo good about april!

i'm about to make my breakfast.
smoothie:
mango
pineapple
tangelo
strawberry
vitamineral green

and then order some of my favorite "treats" from oneluckyduck (pure food and wine nyc)
eat - snacks

prepared raw foods are a rarity and i try to use them sparingly but there is nothing like a good "crunch" every now and then. last time i ate raw, i only discovered things like this toward the end to mix. my favorites from their store are the gRAWnola and rosemary crackers. well, really the icecream but i have never attempted to have it shipped. if you like sweets, the raw macroons are really good too.

Okay I've decided I'm going to do this

Im about to head to the market to get some fruits and veggies,

Brookelyn-I'm on that oneluckyduck website looking at some foods to buy.
Do you know of what things anyone doing the raw food diet should buy?

and
I've got a steamer that I use to cook some veggies sometimes, will this work for heating my food?

i'm so glad you are going to join!
everything oneluckyduck sells is raw so any of it would be good. i've tried most of their snacks. the only one i don't care for is the spicy macadamias. the idea is good but the execution of this particular snack does not work for me. if you are in NYC or want to arrange frozen delivery, GET THE ICECREAM! it is really fucking amazing. like better than real ice cream. not sure you could tell which was real and which was raw in a taste test. it's THAT good!