Hi everybody! I am having a problem that I hope someone can help me out with. Over the past 6 months or so I haven been reading many books on the subject of nutrition/ health/ and healing. I have learned so much about foods that promote a healthy body. I know which food nourish me and which foods to avoid. So then why can’t I stick with a high raw diet?
The problem is, I do not feel satisfied after a raw vegan meal. For example, I will eat a huge salad (lettuce, spinach, sprouts, portabella mushroom, avocado, sweet peppers, onions...the works) and then after 20 minutes or so I'm back in the kitchen eating and apple or an orange...I just want more and more. This isn't the case when I have a "normal" American style lunch. I can eat a baked potato with butter and sour cream for example and feel completely satisfied for a good 2 to 3 hours. I love the comfort of having a solid meal and the feeling of heavier food in my stomach. I'm only about 50% raw at the moment...I do love my fruits and veggies so enjoying the taste and textures of raw food is not an issue for me. I guess my question is, has this been a problem for anyone else? Does it become easier in time to become satisfied eating a raw vegan diet or will I constantly have this feeling of deprivation? Thanks in advance for any support/ feedback..I have been a member on this site for a while but have been finding it difficult to give support when I am struggling myself with this new lifestyle.Peace and love, Liz
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I dont’ know why half of my post got cut off. But I hope everyone can read everything…if not let me know and I’ll try to repost it again!
Liz,
Do you think that eating “comfort” foods satisfies your mental hunger more than your physical hunger? Many of us here (especially while transitioning) have felt the need to eat those foods. Most of the time, it is a mental hunger not a physical. If you stick with simple whole foods this will disappear over time. Good luck!
I am with you all Naturawl….I have had a hard time transitioning…sometimes i feel like i am failing because my food combinations are wrong…or i ate something non raw since i am so used to it..but i think and i have realized now, that i need to set up a designated list of foods taht i will keep in my diet until i decide to really go raw. some of those foods would be: steamed veggies like broccoli, beans-legumes, fish on occasion. As long as i eat raw most of the time I am at least feeling satisfied rather than restrictive…I just started thinking like this today, so we will see how it goes. Hopefully my transition will be smoother and much more enjoyable than my first try a few weeks ago!
Thanks everyone for replying! I think the best approach for me will be to slowly work my way up to 100% so I can make the transition a little easier…I’m glad that the problem of feeling full will be resolved in time. Hopefully as summer approaches I will enjoy the lighter stomach more so than in the winter when I was eating more for comfort. Thanks again everyone, Liz
Try having simpler cooked vegan foods. Like boiled grains and beans. These will help ease your hunger feelings and will not be as bad for your health as meat and dairy. This make a pretty healthy all vegan diet combined with raw veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds. Then you can within your comfort zone increase the raw to cooked ratio over time.