Hello all!
I'm relatively new to veganism, but am considering progressing to a raw food diet. I've spoken to my kinesiologist (who is also a nutritionist) about going raw, and her advice was to only go partially raw, particularly now that we're well into the winter months.
I have also read that according to Chinese medicine, the stomach / spleen needs a certain amount of warm food in order to 'maintain long term function' (http://deepesthealth.com/2007/7-keys-to-a-balanced-vegan-diet-in-line-with-chinese-medicine-philosophy/). I know there are a lot of arguments against raw veganism floating around on the web, but this one intrigued me, as I am a strong believer in Eastern medicine / philosophy. Is anyone able to shed any light on this debate?
In conclusion, I'm definitely going to start incorporating more raw foods into my diet, but will i still gain the same life-changing benefits that the majority of raw-vegans rejoice over, on a 50/50 raw diet (75/25 in the summer months)?
Also, what are your thoughts on grains? I've come across a few articles arguing that they are not suitable for human consumption, which makes sense, as humans only started consuming them recently, and of course, most of them need to be cooked in order to be eaten (with the exception of oats).
Sorry for all the questions, I'm quite new to all this!
Comments
thank you so much for all that camiheartsraw!
since going vegan, i've started to feel the weight of eating grains too, which i found surprising, as i never really questioned whether grains were good or bad for humans.
i suppose i had the same attitude towards dairy before turning vegan however (19 years of being told 'YOU NEED DAIRY FOR CALCIUM' really worked its magic), so it figures.
you also make a really good point about warming food... i'll definitely start using lots more spices in my food from now on. i can really appreciate that quite a few members of this site seem more focused on their health and doing what feels right for them, rather than allowing themselves to be tied down by the whole 'raw vegan dogma'.
thanks again!
Based on my experience you'll definitely reap lots of benefits going 50% raw (not as many as say 80% to 100%), but still some very noticeable results. BUT, that does largely depend on what else you're eating. If the remainder of your diet is healthy i.e. largely vegan and low in meat and processed foods you'll see results, but if it's full of junk or tons of meat you may not notice much of a difference. I've been an on again off again vegan, vegetarian, raw foodist for years so I've seen the differences between the different ways I've eaten over the years.