some tricky questions...

elizabethhelizabethh Raw Newbie

I have a few questions about the raw diet that maybe some more experienced raw foodies might be able to answer. I don’t like to approach health with some sort of a dogma, and I think its important to be realistic and put health in front of idealism, which is why these questions are coming up.

1- What do you think about getting too much fiber on a raw diet? Clearly this isn’t a common problem amongst Americans who aren’t getting enough fiber, but from my understanding food needs to spend 4-6 hours in the small intestine to get absorbed properly. If pretty much everything I eat as a raw foodie consists largely of dietary fiber, what eliminates the risk that food is passing through my system too quickly to be properly absorbed?
2- Too much sugar is a big question on a raw diet. I’ve been starting to think that maybe steamed vegetables would be a better alternative to yet another raw mango. Fruit sugar gives you highs, and then lows. How do you avoid getting too much sugar on a raw diet, taking into consideration the differences between natural and artificial sugar?

Comments

  • If you are worried about bringing too much fiber in your diet you could easily calculate the amount of fiber you consume each day – just as those who worry they are not receiving enough fiber.
    As far as how long the food is in the small intestines, I am very much looking forward to further replies to see if anyone has that answer and I am going to be researching this as well.

    Sugar – Hmmm…good question! I know that the sugars are digested differently and are changed within the body differently between natural and artificial sugars. Again – look forward to a more detailed discussion!

  • alpdesignsalpdesigns Raw Newbie

    Hi Elizabeth.

    1) How do you get too much fiber, in your opinion? The assimilation and distribution of nutrients occurs in the colon. Digestion might be rapid, but what you eat for breakfast might not be eliminated until dinner. You could do a test and eat some whole flax or sunflower seeds and watch for them in your stool to see how long it takes in transit.

    2) Some fruits are lower glycemic than others. There are non-sweet fruits such as tomatoes, avocados, squash, peppers that don’t contain the sugars in high amounts. Apples are lower on the glycemic index than watermelon. I believe the ideal would be to eat fruit in the morning, maybe blended into a green smoothie, and then eat vegetables for the rest of the day (not my original concept). Vary the diet.

  • elizabethhelizabethh Raw Newbie

    Thanks all for your input!!

  • DelphineDelphine Raw Newbie

    I would like to suggest you to visit my website (listed on my member profile) as well as to read Gabriel Cousens’ books as both will answer your questions. Do not hesitate to contact me after that if you have further questions : )

    Wishing you the very best : )

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    I have read in a few places that adding maca powder to fruit smoothies or other foods high in sugar helps release the sugar over a longer period of time. This helps regulate blood sugar and ends sugar spikes.

  • Morning_theftMorning_theft Raw Newbie

    I know what you mean about fiber, I can’t handle cruciferous veggies anymore, especially broccoli because the fiber causes distress. I do avoid those as their taste is a good indicator they’re no good, but to get enough veggies without the bulk, it is a good idea to juice them.
    As for sugar… Different people have different tolerance to it. I personally can’t have a low sugar diet, I get depressed, my digestion starts getting messy, and I feel low energy. Even greens make me sluggish! But if you don’t want to get sugar in excess, it is a good idea to combine it with a fat or chlorophyll to slow diet the release. High glycemic fruit isn’t necessarily the source of all evil, as long as it doesn’t effect you negatively. Also, it is a good idea to avoid fruit that’s unnaturally too sweet like seedless fruit.

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