Raw Food Diet

After 23 years of eating like a typical westerner (great amounts of meats, junk food, pop, and everything in between) I've decided to try the Raw Food Diet (which will be abbreviated as RFD for now on). I came up with this great idea after watching Food Matters and eventually purchasing the book Eating for Energy. Each has had a big influence on me and thus has me on this path.

The RFD recommends eating 80% or more raw foods. That includes nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit. It also discourages the consumption of any meat, dairy or fish.

Has anyone else tried this and/or still eat mostly raw? I've just begun as of last week and it's a bit difficult. It's not difficult simply getting the food down, but I run out of ideas pretty quickly. Of course I'd like simple and easy ideas/recipes since I cook solely for myself and complex/time consuming recipes are just not realistic when I have to make so many different dishes for myself. I do have a culinary degree, so don't shy away wish your favorite dishes thinking I may not be capable of tackling them.

My current list of ingredients includes; kale, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, pears, bananas, avocados, kiwi, spinach and more. Mostly all being organic. My flavor additions have come from sea salt, pepper, lemon juice, tahini/hummus, and olives/tapenade.

My 'cheat' foods (which are cheats because they're cooked) have been fish and lavash, a soft, thin flatbread.

Supplements include whey protein, spirulina, fish oil, probiotics and nutritional yeast.

I don't have a juicer or dehydrator as most people have recommended, but I may invest in each coming up soon if anyone has recommendations.

*To answer the question "why?"...because I like to try new things. At 6'7" I challenged myself to drop down below 150 lbs for the heck of it, and did it. I've also challenged myself in weight gains and have done that. Now I want to try out the 'ultimate nutritional diet' to see how it changes my body and affects my lifestyle. I workout 3-4 times a week and play soccer on Sundays. I hope to gain energy, look better and feel better by doing this.

Food Matters - Can be viewed online using your Netflix account
http://www.foodmatters.tv/

Eating For Energy
http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Energy-Tra ... 1435710967

Should be an interesting experience ...

I have a good friend who has been eating like this since he got cancer and it's been extremely healthy for him. He swears by a breakfast of lots of fruit as essential btw.

The best source of recipes I know is from the wonderful Cafe Gratitude in San Francisco ... Truly delicious food yet all raw and vegan http://www.cafegratitudestore.com/bk01-ig.html

Good luck!

Try this:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/massaged-kale-salad-recipe/index.html

>At 6'7" I challenged myself to drop down below 150 lbs for the heck of it, and did it

6'7", under 150 ? Yikes. Had you just watched 'The Machinist' ?

tem wrote:>At 6'7" I challenged myself to drop down below 150 lbs for the heck of it, and did it

6'7", under 150 ? Yikes. Had you just watched 'The Machinist' ?

Haha, nah. I was only at about 185, so dropping 35 didn't seem to be much of a problem. Everyone complains about losing/gaining weight, but I'm lucky to choose my weight.

I tried this many years ago but gave up, and your post beckoned me to reconsider - this site may have some recipes for you...

http://www.hacres.com/hallelujah-diet/explanation

kimchi wrote:I tried this many years ago but gave up, and your post beckoned me to reconsider - this site may have some recipes for you...

http://www.hacres.com/hallelujah-diet/explanation

Thank for the link!

If you'd like to try it again I'll do a log with ya...or just occasional updates to keep each other motivated. Nobody I know is as 'crazy' as I am to try something new/beneficial. I'm sure another person doing the same would help keep the drive going, sort of like a workout partner.

I like sharing tips, recipes and what not.

I noticed today that I started to slip, but I'm still at the 80% raw mark. I have to start working on some new ideas before I get bored of what I eat each day. I feel limited when eating, but that won't stop me.

I'm glad you appreciate the link and I hope you find delicious recipes there! I am going to need at least a couple of weeks and a few good cheeseburgers and tacos to re-"digest" the whole concept again. Good Luck!

**UPDATE**

I'm about 2 weeks in and it's been rather simple to stick to the raw diet. I've had very limited meats, no dairy and little processed foods. The flavors, textures and urges to eat other things haven't been as bad as I had expected. I do get strong urges at times to eat some chips, but I really don't feel the need to eat meat, cheese, etc.

I've sustained a consistent weight since day one. My overall health has stayed the same, however my energy has gone up a great amount. I'm wide awake whether I'm at work typing away or late into the night. I've also got little to no stomach aches since starting. The only time I do feel a bit sluggish is when I eat more than a serving of hummus or processed foods.

The hardest part of the diet is actually changing it up. I get used to a few vegetables or certain dishes and don't want to mix it up very often. The other tricky thing is incorporation spirulina. I've read so many great things about it and want to get the most out of the diet, so I'm going to stomach it anyway.

Would I recommend this diet to others at this point? Yes. It's changed how I feel on a daily basis and I'm more conscious of my health in every way. I'll continue to post updates when I see more changes.