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Thanks 123! I had thought of some of those, but not all. Many of the social “problems” I have encountered as a vegetarian, so that wouldn’t be all that new to me.
Is food preparation a downside? Seems like the recipes on here require a lot of steps… or maybe is it just that I’m not used to these steps? It just seems somewhat difficult to prepare food.
But, I think that if it’s worth it, a bit of difficulty is ok. I cook from scratch now, like homemade soups instead of canned… my friends and family think that’s really too difficult but it’s really not!
- Like any vegan, you should take a B12 supplement.
- Food prep can be more difficult. On a day-to-day basis, avoid “gourmet” recipes, like most recipes on this website and in uncook books. Just eat lots of fruit and veggies. I like making gourmet recipes, but only on certain occasions, not as daily food.
- Weight loss is a potential problem.I have lost weight, but I am still in the “normal” range, according to BMI. And I feel better / lighter / more energetic too. But I do not want to lose too much more weight. I also need to buy several pairs of new pants now.
- Worse teeth are a potential problem from eating a lot of fruit. Keep eating the fruit, just make sure to brush and floss your teeth. Brush after meals when you can.
- You will have to experiment with different foods. For example, when some people just switch to raw, they tend to eat too much fats (avocados, nuts, oils). If you do this, just be aware that later on you should diminish the amount of fats. Also, this is another reason to avoid gourmet recipes, as some of them have too much fat.
- As another example, I can’t eat too much of certain foods. They are not bad, and I like them in moderate amounts, but I just don’t feel great if I eat too much of them. I am not sure, but the exact foods might vary from person to person, so you might have to experiment. For instance, I try not to eat more than, say, 5 bananas per day.
- You have to buy fresh produce regularly, say, a couple of times a week at least.
Thank you guys, for all your responses. It’s good to know theres a community out there to help w/ questions!
I guess I’m a little late to this question but I sure wish people had told me the downsides before I made my first pass at raw last year. My downside list is:
1) Lots of preparation and cleanup time and effort 2) More frequent trips to the grocery store for perishables 3) More expensive grocery list 4) Difficulty eating outside of the house 5) Long learning curve! 6) Monitoring by the Raw Police (raw and non-raw people!) 7) Poor advice from well-meaning raw foodists
Once I got into eating raw it was truly the most wonderful thing I could have done for myself. But I didn’t know a darned thing about nutrition and got my advice from raw foodists who were into it more for political and spiritual reasons, while I really needed health information. I ended up suffering from not getting enough protein and being bashed for even trying to ask about it on raw food forums. My hair fell out, which was devastating. It’s hard to get true raw foodists to even tell you the nutritional makeup of the foods they make because of their entrenched belief that it simply doesn’t matter.
I gave up on raw food for a year (while I tried to regrow my hair!) but eating SAD brought back all the other health problems that eating raw had gotten rid of. So this year I got myself a nutritionist and have jumped back on the raw wagon, with caution. I still thoroughly believe in eating raw, but I also believe in being educated about nutrition from properly trained people. Since even trained professionals don’t agree on raw vegan diets, though, you really have to watch your own body’s reactions to your diet, and be open to new ideas.
I am on a personal journey that I don’t expect to be like another person’s raw journey. I do what works for me, and I congratulate those who do it differently and are healthy and happy. Eventually I hope to be 100% raw again, but only if I am getting all of the nutrients I need. I am not above taking B12 tablets or adding protein powder to my morning smoothie- it’s all about health for me, not about being in the 100% Raw Club. Despite the challenges, eating raw is the number one best health transformation I have ever made for myself. That’s my mantra! :-)
DancinDurinan- you asked about the hair loss. What a nightmare, huh? The most consistent advice I got from raw foodists, doctors, nutritionists and medical websites included:
1) Eat cucumbers for the silica 2) Get more minerals in your diet 3) Increase your protein intake 4) Take MSM 5) Take biotin
I tried all of that but the cucumbers. I tried taking a tablespoon or two (can’t remember) of black strap molasses daily because it’s high in the right kinds of minerals. I could only stand that for a few weeks. The last three I’ve been doing regularly since June: I take biotin and MSM as part of my vitamin regimen, and I always make sure to get no fewer than 60 grams of protein a day (I go for 80, really). Also, make sure you are getting enough calories. The first time I went raw it was very difficult for me to get 1000 calories a day because I had no appetite (and was thrilled not to have one!)
I’ve been told that my hair appears to be “filling in” over the past few months, and I hope that’s true. I’ve been so traumatized that I can’t even judge it anymore!
DancinDurinan- you asked about the hair loss. What a nightmare, huh? The most consistent advice I got from raw foodists, doctors, nutritionists and medical websites included:
1) Eat cucumbers for the silica 2) Get more minerals in your diet 3) Increase your protein intake 4) Take MSM 5) Take biotin
I tried all of that but the cucumbers. I tried taking a tablespoon or two (can’t remember) of black strap molasses daily because it’s high in the right kinds of minerals. I could only stand that for a few weeks. The last three I’ve been doing regularly since June: I take biotin and MSM as part of my vitamin regimen, and I always make sure to get no fewer than 60 grams of protein a day (I go for 80, really). Also, make sure you are getting enough calories. The first time I went raw it was very difficult for me to get 1000 calories a day because I had no appetite (and was thrilled not to have one!)
I’ve been told that my hair appears to be “filling in” over the past few months, and I hope that’s true. I’ve been so traumatized that I can’t even judge it anymore!
rawallison- what do you usually eat/take to meet protein intake? i am experiancing the same problem= hair loss. I’m so glad to have found this forum. thank you!!