Hello Beautiful!

It looks like you're new to The Community. If you'd like to get involved, click one of these buttons!

In this Discussion

Raw Foods.... What CAN I eat??

First, let me say that I sincerely hope that I do not offend anyone here by saying some of the things I have to say. My thoughts are based upon tons of research and from my own experience.

I think most of us here would agree that being Vegan is not for everybody. Plus there are big questions to be asked such as "if being a Vegan IS the life then why is there no Vitamin D in plant foods and little (possibly none) B12? And then what about other vitamins?? Vitamin A is actually rather hard to find enough of in veggies. You need a lot of beta carotene for your body to convert to Vitamin A. And then what about Calcium, Phosphorus, etc. etc??" Most of the above is easy to find, but it takes a lot and a lot of dark greens, and lots of fats, and lots of juicing, and lots of supplements.

So, since being Vegan and since eating mostly raw foods, as some of you know, I've developed some cavities. Based upon all of my research and all of my experience, I conclude that being Vegan is not for everyone and that there are some strikes against me being vegan. For one thing, I need to cure my cavities and the only method that has a 80% or more success rate includes eating a lot of animal foods. So, while I can concluded that being Vegan might not be 'for me,' I still strongly believe that eating as much of our food raw as we can is crucial to good health and well being. So, as Dr. Mercola and Ramiel Nagel suggests, I need to eat a lot of raw foods. Raw milk, raw eggs, raw fermented cod liver oil, some meats-- a lot of which raw, soup made with bone marrow and bone broth, and then to balance the pH with lots and lots and lots of vegetables. And to eat lots of fermented foods as well.

So, I'm thinking that I'm going to have to start eating fermented foods (rejuvelac, kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, etc). And then I need to start drinking raw milk, and also take at least two cups of vegetable juice a day. I should replace my oatmeal in the morning with maybe green smoothies and/or high protein raw egg drinks of some kind. And I need to eat as much raw foods as I can (maybe even 75-90%) while still eating some animal products to get the nutrients I need. Not only that but I'm going to make the only grains that I eat sprouted and/or fermented, as much as possible. And I'm going to start taking cayenne pepper regularly as I have done somewhat in the past, and also to do hot and cold hyrdrotherapy in the shower. Oh yeah and I got a wheatgrass juicer for free on Freecycle and I'm going to have 2-3 oz. of wheatgrass juice every morning to help give me energy and balance my pH.

And of course, all of these animal products must be local, farm fresh and organic and they must be humanely raised NOT factory made or anything like that). And some things (such as pig) should be avoided.

My cavities is not at all the only reason that I've drawn these conclusions. I also have really bad neck pain. Had it for a while and I've just realized that its actually gotten worse since me being Vegan. And that muscle pain has a lot to do with nutrition and also proper digestion of food. So, I need to get more nutrients.

So, I've got some questions. First, are any of you still with me or did I loose you all in this?? If any of you are in support of my decision for my health then I've got a question.... what CAN I eat? I feel like I felt when I first became Vegan. I don't know what I can eat. I end up eating too many foods that are bad for me beacause I do not know exactly what I can eat and how to prepare it. Even Dr. Mercola & Ramiel Nagel talks about what foods you need to eat, but it seems neither of them offer much as far as how to prepare it. Dr. Mercola does much more than Rameil does.

So, I'm kind of lost. I am quite aware though, that raw veggies by themselves simply do not fill me up and I end up needing a snack. Or I need to eat bread with my veggies, and thats not good at all. Or I'll have some soup or something. Thats much better than bread, I think. Nutrients and all. But, its cooked. Its cooked. And then as far as the animal foods go, I know hardly anything. Research shows that most of the problems associated with meat is because its cooked (or even overcooked) and because its factory made instead of organic and farm fresh. And that meat is best fermented. But I do not know how to ferment it, and google has not helped much.

Also, I understand this website is a VEGAN website so my sincerest apologies to Raw and Kandace if this post is overboard. If it is, I can probably move it to the Other Stuff category.

Thanks a lot and God Bless You All!

~Shawn

Comments

  • You sound like a unique case to me, unless you're doing something really wrong! Can't give any advice I'm afraid, I'm just wondering about this:

    "Research shows that most of the problems associated with meat is because its cooked (or even overcooked) and because its factory made instead of organic and farm fresh."

    What research?

  • Im thinkin I'd have to agree that, as with anything, there are negatives to being 100% vegan. Im not positive that any of us are going to come to some magic and mysterious combination of foods that leads to the fountain of youth and everlasting health whether 100% vegan or not. We're all just doing the best we can.

    My personal goal is to eat as natural as possible avoiding the manufactured and processed foods whether its all vegan or not.

    That being said, it doesn't sound like your problems are by necessity the result of an all vegan diet. I'd say ask your doctor but he/she would probably just end up perscribing some med that would make it even worse. LOL

    Thats what they're trained to do afterall.

     

  • "the only method that has a 80% or more success rate includes eating a lot of animal foods."

    According to who? Meat is very acidic and very bad for the teeth. You seem pretty sure of what you want to do but i suggest you try 80/10/10. Traditional high fat raw diets usually cause problems such as cavities and lethargy due the acidic nature of nuts and most seeds. I developed a cavity in my back molar on a very high fat raw diet that is now healing itself thanks to the 80/10/10 diet. Animal products aren't the answer, fruit is ;)

  • "if being a Vegan IS the life then why is there no Vitamin D in plant foods and little (possibly none) B12"

    There is no Vitamin D in any food naturally. Vitamin D is a horomone in your body activated by the sun. The only food with Vitamin D is food that has been fortified with it by man, ie milk. Spend 15-45 mins everyday in the sun (more or less depending on how light/dark your skin is and how sunny your enviornment) In some areas that are cloudy the vast majority of the time, it may be necessary to consume foods fortified with Vitamin D, but you can easily get that from a vegan source as you can a non vegan source.

    As far as B12, that is a tad more controversial. Some folks believe, nutritional yeast, sea vegetables, and fermented foods can be a natural source of B12, though its not been verified. B12 is produced by a bacteria, (this is how we produce our own B12 in the intestines, but we don't absorb it well.) It is believed eating unwashed organic produce will provide the necessary amount of B12, due to the B12 producing bacteria in the soil. To my knowledge, most vegan anemia is due to iron deficiency (which can easily be remedied with vegan sources), not B12 deficiency. Anemia caused by B12 deficiency is most common in folks with intestinal disorders or worms which is irrevelent to their diet. Whether or not there are natural vegan sources of Vitam B12 is still debatable.

    I'm not saying you're diet choices are wrong or right, but your information is not completely accurate. Vitamin D obtained naturally as a vegan is easy, Vitamin B12 is undetermined, so I suppose you could use that as an argument if you believe it doesn't exist. As far as your cavities, I would do more research. I don't understand your logic connecting veganism to cavities. I don't see how they are related. I have seen many raw fooders on this site complaining about cavities though. (Too many sweet or acidic fruit maybe?)

    My only concern about your diet would be the raw eggs and meat. While it is possible for humans to eat these without any adverse effects, the amount of deadly bacteria in these food is apperant. If you happen to get a piece of meat or an egg that isn't in perfect condition, it could cause serious food poisoning or worse. I would suggest talking to a doctor, conventional or not, about the risks of consuming raw meat and eggs before you change your diet. Hope this helps

  • rawcanadianrawcanadian Raw Newbie

    You need to do more research.

    Not sure where you got your ton of research from but mine seems to differ.

    Remember google is your FRIEND!!!!

    Vitamin D isn't found in any food, and your body needs to make it from getting sun.

    Being Vegan isn't natural, as there are no Vegan cultures, so it is something rather new.

    If there were vegan cultures 1000s of years ago, then those people didn't survive, which would mean that being vegan is a flawed diet (survival of the fittest).

    B12 is found in animal based foods, which the healthiest people on the planet do eat (according to science here) but in reduced amounts. So it is ok to eat some meat, just questionable as to how much and what kind and how it should be cooked.

    Here is a recent link:

    http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=2352701

    So eating cooked grains and some meat is ok since it was done over 100 000 years ago. This gave our bodies enough time to evolve.

    The amount of calcium required is less than what is recommended by the milk companies $$$$$$ understand??

    Milk isn't a natural food, best evidence is horse milk at 15000 years ago.

    Milk is for baby cows!!!!

    What can you eat, is everything in moderation.

    My suggestion is shoot for 5-10 servings of fruits 5-10 veggies, raw and steamed.

    Potatoes, whole grain rice, oatmeal, soymilk in moderation if you want.

    wHOLE GRAIN NOODLES, WATER, JUICE fruit and vegetable, cacao, nuts , raw green salads, seeds (flax is healthy)

    fish 2-4 times a week (tuna, salmon are good choices). Meat chicken breast, turkey, red once a week.

    egg whites - 2-6 per week is ok

    k good luck!!!

  • the59soundthe59sound Raw Newbie

    MONO MEALS OF FRUIT.

  • AVLAVL Raw Newbie

    I agree with the59sound! That's what works best for me.

  • Hi Shawn,

    I'm with you on the idea that people need to find their personal needs. I have been into raw for many years now. I did experiment a couple years ago with dairy and egg because of a health problem but it was not my solution. I do have cooked sprouted grain, beans and steamed veggy.

    You can be healthier without meat if your vegan diet supports you (if you find the right foods) . I am type O blood (needs red meat) but I am so healthy. It took a lot of work, years of research (check out Chinese medicine) and experimenting.

    Fruit and veggy are great for cleansing, but for maintaining good health you may need to add more concentrated nutrient and grounding foods. Have more nuts and seeds, cook some beans and brown rice if you need to, key nutrient dense foods are:

    -spirulina and other seaweeds (minerals, vitamins and proteins)

    -brewers or nutritional yeast (B vitamins, minerals and proteins)

    -flax oil (omega 3's)

    -any yellow, orange or green food will give you vitamin A. You will get enough, or drink carrot juice.

    -pink crystal salt (Himalayan) is also great for trace minerals.

    The highest sources of B12 are in vegan foods.

    Nutritional yeast and spirulina are higher than most other animal products for B12.

    In ancient times, people drank from steams, lakes or rivers. Not the sterile modern faucets. B12 was a healthy contaminant. Animal products have their place as medicine, and are not essential for maintenance. You would enjoy the book that has helped my health journey most - 'Healing with Whole Foods' by Paul Pitchford. It is a work of art!

    When preparing food, have it in it's most pure state. Blend, chop, combine, steam, grind, have fun but avoid anything processed (or animal :) Do not heat foods with oils other than coconut or grape seed. Feel good about what you eat and enjoy it.

    Blessings!

    Ariana

  • This is so ridiculous - EAT WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. If it's meat, eat meat. If it's fruit, eat fruit. Stop looking to other people to make up your mind about what you "should" or "should not" eat. Truth is SUBJECTIVE. You're never going to find an ABSOLUTE. There are pros and cons to everything in life and YOU need to decide for yourself what pros outweigh what cons instead of using questionable research to back up claims that are completely contrary to this vegan raw site. The majority of us here have already decided that the pros of eating vegan raw far outweigh the cons. I'm so tired of all these Qs about what is "allowed." EVERYTHING IS ALLOWED! You place restrictions on yourself that best benefit you and YOUR body. It's not complicated!

  • maybe all the above mentioned ailments are detox symptoms? if you want eat a "balanced" diet, then maybe 100 percent is not for you at this time. try oil pulling and enemas, they help speed toxins out the body so you dont have such a bad detox experience. good luck, friend.

  • hey guys,

    I love being high raw, but also noticed that my teeth started hurting more and I started getting more cavities. Lack of something I know, figuring it out now.

  • AVLAVL Raw Newbie

    Ya, I've also noticed that my teeth are hurting more since starting to eat raw, back in May. I'm using Sensodyne toothpaste, but they still hurt a little.

Sign In or Register to comment.