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So I’m really enjoying my 4th day of being raw and cigarette free! I was a total junk food queen before AND ate meat and dairy.
I’ve been studying this forum and reading some ebooks but I just have a couple of questions that I’m still unsure of.
By eating all these gorgeous desserts, is that classed as not being 100% raw? Because I read that agave, coconut oil, carob and cacao as well as almost all almonds, brazils and other nuts are not completely raw?
Even if it is ok to eat all the desserts. Is there any limit on the amount you should eat, due to putting on weight?
Do the nuts have to be raw or organic? – Being raw so far seems very expensive to me! lol. Buying fruit and nuts alone for 1 person cost me more than a usual week’s shop for 3.
If you are not being 100% raw, does this mean the results will be different on your health and body?
I don’t have a dehydrator (yet) so how do I dry out seeds after soaking?
Thanks so much for your help!
Carly xxx
Comments
Congrats on getting rid of all that crap! I’m surprised there aren’t some responses here for you, so here’s my take. I find when people talk about food it tells you more about them than it does about food, so keep that in mind…
“100 percent:”
With the ingredients you mention, or any others, my advice is read labels, be informed, do the best you can when shopping, and don’t mistake being 99% raw or 90% raw or 100% raw plus leftover Halloween Skittles as being a failure. With nuts, yes, be careful – check farmer’s markets for raw unpasteurized nuts or go to sources you trust. But if a dear friend goes to the trouble of making you a special raw dessert and uses pasteurized nuts, it really isn’t the end of the world. Go ahead and eat it and say thank you.
Desserts and weight:
I don’t limit myself from eating what I want for reasons of weight. Maybe it’s because I haven’t gained weight since giving up dairy (the last thing to go) no matter what I eat whether it’s raw or cooked – I mean a pound or two up or down but nothing significant. Since everything you’re eating is plant-based, it’s healthy and good for you and has the right energy behind it. Even dessert.
Costs: Yes, eating well is expensive. Organics in particular are more expensive, but better for you. But think of all the money you’re saving on cigarettes! The first part of your question – do nuts have to be raw – circles back to my point above, do the best you can. The recipes you’ll be following on this site use raw nuts, so you’ll get the best output using raw nuts.
Results: Every body is different. You can learn from other people’s experiences on food and physical health, but it’s best if you try to stay as self-aware as possible so that you can figure out how things affect you. The results I get might be different than the results you get.
Seeds: I think what you’re describing doesn’t refer to dehydrating but simply allowing to air-dry. When you soak you hydrate, so you don’t want to dehydrate after that. Spread them out in as thin a layer as possible on a nonstick surface like a cookie sheet or glass pan. Stir them around a little occasionally and spread out thinly again. They’re dry when they don’t stick to the plate or each other and move around easily.
In answer to your nut question about raw or organic, they should be raw first, and organic second. You shouldn’t eat heated and denatured fats. If you can actually find raw nuts that are also organic, that’s great, but my experience is that the popular raw stores are questionable as far as nuts are concerned, and practically no conventional store will sell them.
In the nut industry, “raw” just means “untoasted”, and that is all. The nut might very well have been heated during processing, to sterilize the shell before shelling. Don’t ever count on organic nuts to be raw; one has nothing to do with the other.
Some nuts, like cashews, need to be boiled to remove dangerous oils.(Although there are apparently some truely raw cashews out there)
Some seeds, such as sunflower seeds, are traditionally dried on the flower in the fields, so they are usually raw; HOWEVER, the shelling process might heat them. I got a lame answer from a distributor, so I’m not sure.
I call up nut processors myself, and find out how they process their nuts. The place I buy pecans from does not grow them organically, but because they do not use hot steam(which is the standard) to sterilize the shells prior to shelling, the nuts are truly raw.
I need to add that I’m sure some raw stores sell truly raw nuts, but it’s really hard to get a straight answer from them as far as how the nuts are processed and I have gotten rancid nuts from one of them. If you can’t afford to experiment with shipping costs back and forth, then why bother with a store, that is ultimately not supporting the farmer anyhow? Buying direct is supporting the farmer.
you don’t need to eat any nuts at all. My husband and I just use sprouted sunflower seeds in place of any nuts in recipes and it always turns out delicious as well as very inexpensive.
Check out our Dead Food List for more information about what it raw and what is not. It is common practice to boil or steam nuts to shell them, and very hot air to dry them, so shelled nuts aren’t raw, unless you know that the farmer did not heat them during shelling and drying.
I’m similar to you (I loved meat, smokes, pepsi, and coffee). I’m on day 18. I want to forewarn you…your nose will become VERY sensitive. Mine is worse than when I was pregnant w/ morning sickness. I’m to the point that I want to go backwards because if I smell like them then I can’t smell that smell.
Marionvalleygirl: oh, the stench of the world! It was terrible the first couple of weeks, but I’m getting used to it :)
I’ve given up everything, including nuts but not beer. THAT will be my last thing to go :P
Nuts are not necessary. There are too many variables and you can do just fine with seeds.
There is one way to tell if a seed or nut is raw and that is to try and sprout it.Don’t try to be 100% anything. If you quit smoking and eating animals and take a green smoothie everyday, and just do that and not worry about a thing, it will come to you in time and naturally without guilt, without feeling deprived.
Eating right is expensive, but diabetes and heart disease cost much, much more.
How do you deal ungrateful? The smell is awful.
I have a dehydrator and Angie informed me I was cooking so I don’t dehydrate much. I’d check w/ the group on a dehydrator. I had mine and started using it not knowing. Just a tip so you don’t do what I’ve done.
wow I only just managed to log in here and see all the replies!
I think personally that nuts have been my staple with missing all the protein I usually consume. But this weekend I haven’t eaten any (because I ran out of the organic ones I bought) and I’ve been fine really.
I ended up having a cigarette and 2 glasses of wine last night (bad I know) but it was a friend’s birthday and I was enjoying myself. I’m not going to beat myself up about it though, because now I have found raw I know that however long it takes to be 100% I’m on the right path and it feels good. I’m bound to make mistakes here and there. Considering I’ve smoked up to 15 cigarettes a day for the past 12 years and never even been on a diet. Usually eating 2 chocolate bars a day! I feel proud that I have managed to give up without the aid of anything and eat raw without actually having any cravings for SAD food. I know this is right for me and my body responds to it with pleasure! Just ask my husband ;-)
After waking this morning I came straight on here. Made a pasta sauce and I’m going to have it with courgettes for lunch. I’m really looking forward to it too. I also ordered Raw Food Made Easy and some bulk seeds and raw sweeteners online.
Suasoria – thanks. What you are saying is totally true and as long as I just go with the flow and do the best I can given the situation, it really is better than eating conventionally.
TomsMom – I have bought some raw macademia and whole walnuts online and so hopefully those will be ok.
Zoe – Thanks, I’ve looked at your list and it’s really handy. Great website too!
Marionvalleygirl – nice to know I’m not the only one! I have actually had a really sensitive sense of smell too! Which is not too great as I have 2 dogs and I never realized they smelled so doggy before! lol
Ungrateful – I’m going to try to stick to seeds now and see how I get on. How long roughly does it take for sunflower seeds to soak dry and sprout?
Thanks guys, really appreciate your feedback.
P.S – I tried to put a picture on here under 500k and it’s not showing up for some reason.. Oh well!