Transition and help please.

Hello everyone,

I have quite a few questions for you all actually. First, I have been trying to make the transition into raw, hoping to have converted in the next month as I want to be realistic. I have been introducing smoothies into breakfast, replacing the porridge I was having. I have also had a lot more salad based meals and so far I have absolutely loved it! I already snack on fresh fruit so I am just keeping that bit up. I wondered if there were any other tips which you could give me?

Another thing I wanted to find out about, what's the best blender to have and how much is it? I have one but it's pretty basic, so getting a decent one I think will definitely be important. Also, what about dehydrators too?

Next question... (sorry there's so many) how do you all balance the fat content of your diet? Do any of you watch that? And what kind of cheeses are you eating?

Last one... I will be going home over summer and specialised shops are very limited, which websites are the best for raw foods?

Sorry to bombard you abit, I just really want to be prepared for this and I am so excited to get into it, I want to do everything properly!

Thanks, Paris :) xxx

Comments

  • I am really new and transitioning myself, but the advice i've been seeing is as follows. :)

    blenders... i see that the vitamix or the blendtech are the big dogs. they are around 400

    there is another called a tribest personal blender, and a waring. a regular blender works ok at first.

    dehydrators... the excalibur is the big dog in that.... i have seen a more affordable brand of dehydrator but can't remember the name... do a search in the search box.

    i have seen some people not watch fat, and others an 80/10/10 plan... where no more than 10% is fat. the others seem to do some sort of hybrid version of both.

    cheese, this is a vegan forum, so most people don't eat dairy cheese, but i see recipes for cheeses made from nuts.

    it might not be the best quality, but even wal mart has some "organic" produce... if you keep your meals simple, you should still be able to eat wherever you are.

    experienced people... feel free to correct me if i'm' wrong on any point. I just am trying to help!

    search the net, it is abundant with youtube, and other sites just for raw vegans. good luck!

  • Thanks for your help! I will just get searching! I am not from America, I am in the UK, so we don't get Walmart. And I did mean the cheese made from nuts :) sorry I wasn't clear about that.

    Thanks again.

  • yeah you are right, no wal mart in uk, maybe a farmers market?

  • Yeah. I live in Manchester though and I am a student. I try and go to some of the Halal Supermarkets and shops along the curry mile as they have fresher stuff, it's just price too.

    I go home in May for the summer though, so I will be completely organic then :)

  • sv3sv3 Raw Newbie

    I live in Manchester too! I take it you've been into the Eight Day on Oxford Rd? Lots of great stuff in there.

    When it comes to blenders, unless you want to make lots of really smooth soups, IMHO I don't think there's much need for an expensive blender (vitamix/blendtec). I've been using my middle of the road blender&food processor for years and it's fine.

    I bought my excalibur dehydrator on ebay as wasn't prepared to pay for a new one. They're nice to have but certainly not essential.

    This is a really great recipe for nut/seed cheese: http://goneraw.com/recipe/cheese-spring-onions

    (Ignore the picture tho, it doesn't look like that)

    See this thread for good UK sites: http://goneraw.com/forum/uk-ingredients

    Hope this helps!

  • Oh cool. Yeah- I've been in Eight Day, it's great in there! Thanks for the recipe. I just think by getting as much info on dishes now will prevent me getting bored and falling off the wagon.

  • camiheartsrawcamiheartsraw Raw Newbie

    So far as fat goes...I think that changes the longer you are on the diet. I started out with a lot of raw vegan desserts that were high in nut content and needed more fat to maintain weight. My stomach has become pickier about food combining and I can't handle as many nuts in one sitting IF they are combined with a sweet fruit. I can sit and snack on them if I am feeling low on calories, but tend to eat them alone or with vegetables. I think it's important to be mindful of how you are feeling energy wise and maintain your weight. It's not specific, but I started out pretty high in nut/fat content and worked that down as I started gaining a little weight. I don't eat cheeses - do you mean nut cheeses or dairy? I'm 100% vegan so the only "cheese" I eat is blended cashews or macadamia with citrus to simulate sour cream.

    I have an excalibur dehydrator and I use it quite often for sprouting and kale chips. This summer I will be using it for dehydrating the fruits and veggies we are growing. We're getting fig and pear trees, so I'm hoping we'll get a lot of fruit in the next few years. I get plenty of use out of it, and don't regret buying a 9 tray model, but I know other people who don't use theirs...

    I started for several months with a regular blender and it worked for a time. I used mine until it tired out and wouldn't grind the harder nuts without pausing - my brother still uses it, but he's not raw vegan and didn't need the super powered blender. Now I have a Vitamix and I LOVE it. I got an older model for $350 without all the bells and whistles and it works very well.

    Cami

     

  • Thanks for all your info Cami, it's all so useful! I think I have confused people about the cheese thing, I did mean the nut cheeses.

    I have found that I have been a bit hungrier in the afternoon, as for breakfast though I feel HEAPS better having fruit and not the usual porridge I was having pre-raw. I seem to have loads more energy and I don't have that sluggish feeling. Usually if I have nuts it's just a handful as a snack anyway, so I don't think I will have too many problems.

    I think I'll carry on with the blender I have for the mean time, but I will definitely be investing in one sooner than I though. The one I am using at the minute doesn't seem to blend everything quite enough, especially pieces of celery and pineapple.

    Thanks again and I will check that blog out now!

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