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Downsides to being RAW?

OK, I’ve been looking at raw sites and reading info and recipes and discussions, etc. I just want to be completely educated about something before I try it, you know? I understand the healthy benefits of being raw, and the environmental benefits too. But here’s my question… what are the DOWNSIDES? I mean, everything that’s good still has some negatives, right? Could a few people be honest and tell me what they DON’T like about living the raw lifestyle?

Comments

  • alpdesignsalpdesigns Raw Newbie

    It’s difficult to be around family and friends who want to entice you with foods that you loved in the past.

    It’s difficult to maintain a social life with non-raw fooders if they want to go out to eat or out drinking all the time.

    You get tired of answering the “how do you get protein” question.

    You go through a cleansing that can have some rough side effects sometimes, but you feel so good afterwards that the detox is something you look forward to.

    Another negative is eating a raw diet without balance. It’s easy to eat too many fats and to combine foods poorly.

    Sometimes a person might have a reaction to foods they aren’t used to, like kale for example.

    Organic produce may not always available in your area.

    People get tired of hearing about how good you feel.

  • 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!

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    If you are used to making cooked soup from scratch, you will find that making raw soup is even easier. It is basically the same – just no cooking time!

    One downside in the food prepartion part is when you make dehydrated foods like crackers and breads – they take alot longer to be ready than making cooked breads and crackers in your oven.

    Other than that – most raw foods take just as long to prepare as cooked or less time.

    Other downsides, for me at least, is that certain foods really don’t make perfect subs for their cooked cousins. Raw bread is not really like cooked bread. Crackers and chips are better than raw bread but still not quite as similar in some ways. So, for certain cooked subs – it is hard to find a raw sub. Cheese is another one – although, some nut cheeses can be quite tasty but not for all types of dairy cheese cravings.

    Subs for dairy are pretty good in raw. Cashew whipped cream, cream cheese, nut milk, cashew sour cream – all it works very well for me. Cashews are a good sub for “creamy” anything.

    Mushrooms, if you marinate them, work OK for a meat sub. Although, I have been a veggie for 18 years so I don’t really crave meat anymore but miss a good veggie hot dog or meat sub every once and a while.

    Another downside to raw is that organic produce and speciality raw products can get quite expensive.

    Another thing that I don’t like is that I have to eat alot of raw to not get hungry again in a few hours. If I eat a cooked meal, I can eat one hearty cooked meal and not be hungry for the rest of the day.

  • coconuttycoconutty Raw Newbie

    I’ll agree with queenfluff on the eating alot part. If I’m out and about I ALWAYS have to make sure I have some sort of food with me because I can burn through my raw foods like crazy if I’m out and being active.

    Another downside for me is that I constantly have to keep a close eye on my fresh foods. If you buy too much stuff, you really have to plan it out cause some stuff can start to go bad within a couple days. So you have to buy less food, but shop more often.

  • I concur with cocnutty about buying less food and shopping more. I always seem to purchase too much and end up throwing it away so it is a little wasteful but I am still new at this. Is it me or does the organic fruits and veggies seem to spoil faster?

  • coconuttycoconutty Raw Newbie

    No, it’s not you! I notice that the organics sometimes go faster as well.

  • - 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.

  • The biggest down said, having to figure out what to eat when you go out with your friends. I usually end up having salad while they have these fabulous meals that smell so good and yummy deserts. I’m with a partner too who is a huge meat eater. Though he will usually try my raw foods for the most part he wants meat and potatoes sort of things. He’s a big body builder and looks fantastic which is great, I’m happy for him, but I can’t eat that way.

    The other thing is prep, I’ve really tried to narrow down my meals to things that are easy and simple to make and then when I have time or want to do a dinner party or something I make more detailed meals. Buying also takes up time, using so many fresh foods that don’t keep well means more shopping trips. I’ve tried to freeze or keep dried foods on hand to help with this. Freezing only last so long too. Coming home tired from work, the last thing I want to do is to prepare a meal, I usually want to eat out. So having things made up in the fridge makes that a little bit easier.

    You basicly have to find what works for you. I will hit whole foods sometimes at their salad bar and load up a nice yummy meal, or they have fruit already cut up. Planning is important. Finding what works for you, what makes it easier, what foods you like, what balance is good for you.

    I do fruit smoothies in the morning, thats about it for fruit for me unless I want a snack like a peach or fig or to have it in a desert which I wait a couple of hours after I eat a veg meal.

    I think the hardest is food prep and being out with non raw friends. Have some snacks on hand to carry with you helps.

  • 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! :-)

  • Dancin DurianDancin Durian Raw Newbie

    Hey all!

    I think the biggest downside to raw foods, is feeling that cooked foods are the enemy, and then if you happen to eat some, you end up feeling really guilty about it. Be really easy on yourself! That is the best advice. Rawallison-you said that your hair fell out the first time you went raw. I am having the same problem. What did you do about it? I have not found anything that has helped me yet. Thanks!

  • Hi I have to say here that before I went raw I had hair that was falling out and bleeding gums (among other things)but both of those have been resolved by eating raw food. The down side is that I am still fighting cravings for carbs and I feel pretty hungry a lot. But I think if I could get some basic foods around that work for me that I wouldn’t be hungry. My tastes have changed a lot too.

    I also think there is a huge learning curve for a lot of the recipes like – what is the blank on the juicer and does mine have one- I am not sure. But there are plenty of easy recipes I am just obsessing over making gourmet ones all the time! I was kind of bummed out today about not having certain things and not being able to get them right away or at all- like raw buckwheat- they don’t sell it here. But it’s funny how important good ingredients have gotten!

  • I agree with dancing Durian go easy on yourself. And Simplify! I really eat lots of mono meals now, smoothies/juices and I make one big batch of nut pate and then make differnt kinds of wraps or salad or I splurge on some of lydias crakers (I am just not in to doing my own sprouting and dehydrating right now..I am super busy obviosly not enough or I wouldnt be on here 5 times a DAY..I cant help it I love this site…ok where was I..)..Oh YEah. I used to think I had to have meals and complicated recipes but I dont really need that at all. I have changed my idea about eating and that has made it alot easier for me. Sometimes I eat cooked food when i go out with friends or something. I just order the most raw or best choice I can and enjoy myself…I am finding more and more that I dont like cooked food that much…my tastes are changing and it is getting easier all the time. I think its only hard for a little while and then it gets personalized to you and easier!

  • 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!!

  • First of all, I absolutely love being raw! But the major downside for me is just not being able to go out and get prepared food at the drop of a hat. Sometimes, I just want to watch a movie and bury my face into something yummy that is more than just a banana. Or I am on a road trip and want to be able to get a treat at the rest stop. But that is impossible. Instead I have to put some stuff in the cooler in my trunk. But really, this is not a downside of eating raw food, it is the down side of our society!

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    For those of you experiencing hair loss, if you haven’t already and are using shampoos and conditioners, check into what is in those products. The best thing is to not use any shampoo at all (it is very drying to hair and scalp) but I realize not everyone is keen on that idea. But hair loss can be due to hair breaking off from being weak and dry. Also any tight braids or ponytails can cause hair loss and using chemical products like perms or colors.

    Definatley take the MSM (what alot of people think is protein deficency is actually MSM deficiency – oh and the higher dosage you take the faster your results – I would do a tablespoon full twice a day) and do gentle scalp massages. Get the blood circulating to your scalp – it is one of the last places to get the benefits of nutrition. It will take a while for your hair to recover from a big hair loss event. Stress too is the one of the number one causes. You may not notice the corelation of the hair loss to a a stressful event – it will happen months after the event.

    Make sure you eat the cucumber skin for the silica. Brazil nuts too for the selenium.

    Don’t forget too that hair sheds in cycles so certain times of year you might lose more than other times and your hair will seem thinner.

  • coconuttycoconutty Raw Newbie

    I’ve always read that hairloss can be due to detox as your body is working to shed unhealty tissue and regenerate with new healthy tissue (or hair). So I suppose that might be a possibility as well ?

  • MarichiesaMarichiesa Raw Newbie

    Could someone tell me what MSM is? I’m not knowledgable about it at all. Thx!

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    It could be possible yes. I have read a few stories of people going raw and than losing a lot of hair and than they said it grew back in thicker and healthier but it took years to do that. They attributed it to their bodies shedding their old “cooked” hair and replace it with new “raw living” hair. (Btw, these were people who mostly followed the 811 path which is pretty restrictive) But if that is true than why don’t all people who go raw and detox have serious hair loss?

    I believe it might be a mixture of factors. The hair itself is not a living organism or tissue- the tissue part that grows the hair which is below the scalp is the living part. This is why when you have split ends they only way to get rid of them it to cut them off. A dead organism can not heal itself.

    When the tissue gets what it needs, the better the hair it grows will look. It is the tissue it not getting what it needs – it won’t grow any hair (thus your hair starts thinning as it doesn’t keep up with the normal shedding and growing cycles).

    The normal hair shedding cycle already does what you say in SAD eaters and raw eaters. The cycle is not really any different when go raw. But the drastic change in diet (just like when SAD eaters go on “diets” to lose weight) can cause people to be deficient in things they may not have been deficient in before they were raw. Plus people eat less than they did before too.

    I never experienced serious hair loss when I went raw but my hair did thin more (and stayed that way) when I went vegetarian 18 years ago.

    Stress has alot of do with it. Number one cause of hair loss. And just the stress of losing hair can make it worse.

    Oh also – now that I have quit shampoo and conditioner and started taking the MSM – areas of my hair that have been thinner since I went vegetarian have started getting thicker. Believe it or not my hair is thicker and stronger NOT using shampoo than it was when I used it. My hair is starting to grow faster – it has always grown slow.

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Marichiesa -

    MSM is organic sulfur. It very easily destroyed in foods (even raw food) so most people are deficient in it.

    http://www.purehealthsystems.com/msm.html

    I think there are a few thread on here on it already.

  • MarichiesaMarichiesa Raw Newbie

    Cool Thanks! I am going to get some tomorrow.

  • Im thinking of going 100% raw, right now im vegetarian. You guys are scaring me about the hair loss thing because i love my hair and would be pissed if it started falling out (it just starting growing tremendously). I have stopped using shampoo a while back because its got sodium sulfate and other products in it that are bad for your hair. Aside from MSM (which i dont know exactly what it is) how else would i get enough protein in food rather than nuts. Where do you get MSM from and is it costly?

  • When I first started converting my diet to raw (still not 100%) I fell into what seems to be a pretty common trap – eating lots and lots of fruits. My body is very sensitive to sugar and it threw my internal balance way off and caused my candida problem to flare up. For the record, though, my skin became fantastic in about 3 days! I’ve backed off the fruits and increased the veggies, my sugar balance is back and my skin is still great – even my mother commented and we know mothers speak the truth!

    I’m also not entirely sure of the protein thing (how to get enough) – so many people are asked the question in an ignorant way from people eating the SAD that even if you are asking to educate yourself you get shut down pretty quickly. I eat nuts and sprouts but I know that’s still not enough protein overall.

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