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Spend a lot of time at gym, cardio and lifting weights! i usually mostly eat protein and veg and fru

Hi everyone! I was wondering, how going raw will effect my workout life. I do modeling so I need to workout a lot! I do cardio 5 days a week and lift weights pretty seriously 3 days. Don't I need to feed my muscles with protein after my workout? I'm not really sure what kind of dishes I should be eating. I'm open to suggestions. Just finished the book 12 Steps to Raw Foods. I already have the Vita Mixer and use it a lot! I already love kale and many other fruits and veggies.I eat tons of salads. I also eat a lot of organic eggs. I rarely eat meat or fish. Do I need a dehydrator? I probably need a food processor. I basically need to take a raw class I think, because changing everything is like finding a new lifestyle. I was really inspired when I watched Dr. Oz the other day and one of the supermodels mentioned she was on the raw diet and she looked fabulous! That was all I need to see! Where to start? Where to start? And how will this effect my strength levels at the gym with lifting weights?

Thank You for listening, and I'm looking forward to joining this lifestyle! -Jamie :)

Comments

  • Congrats on finding raw Jamie!

    Mkay first of all, make sure to be careful about protein consumption-a lot of people on the standard american diet take in wayyy too much. Seeing however that you're very active I can understand why you'd need more though. There are quite a few sources for raw protein. http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/vegan-protein.html has some examples...

    I wouldn't recomend getting all of your protein from nuts though as they can be hard on your digestive system and are high in fat.

    I personally LOVE spirulina. Some people don't like it so much, but I'd recomend trying it just to see.

    Or if you're interested, there are quite a few raw vegan protein shake/mixes/powders out there. Vega (80% raw, very expensive tho and not just a protein drink), Nutiva hemp protein (i just bought some actually. you can add hemp seeds to it too and get even more protein if you desire), Sunwarrior also seems highly recomended.

    Second, on the dehydrator standpoint...i was kind of spoiled lol. My parents bought me one as a birthday gift and it really helped me through the transition as i was coming off heavy cooked processed food. i've heard of people using their ovens on low to dehydrate, but i've never tried it. Dehydrators are definetly easier then that, but make sure that you eat mostly live foods (fruits, veggies, greens, sprouts...) Food processor in my opinion, definite necessity. Vitamix can work interchangeably in most situations though.

    Third, on where to start... you seem to already have a pretty good start to me!

    what i did is gradually got rid of all my processed food, drank 1 litre of water (4 cups-seems intimidating at first but so important! just make sure you can go to the bathrooms ometime after breakfast) before usually eating raw fruit for breakfast (website i posted above has a section on raw breakfasts), salad for lunch, and then thawed frozen veggies with spices for dinner. i detoxed about a week-felt like i had cold, had mucous, weird new bathroom nonsense... but i (along with everyone in my homeroom) noticed my insane energy.

    Other things to do are look up more recipes on here, join other raw food websites/forums, familiarize yourself with local food co ops and health food stores, maybe find a raw foods meet up group where you live to meet new people (SO MUCH FUN!) but mostly enjoy this journey:)

    Forth on strength and lifting-after the detox you'll experience insane energy so powering through work outs won't be a problem at all, trust me!

    So glad you found this lifestyle, and certainly hope I helped you:) Enjoy the journey!

  • I really appreciate the time you took to give me all this wonderful information! Thank you! May I ask, do you do sprouting in your home? I hear they have protein. Do you drink wheatgrass juice? And I usually eat chickpeas from can after rinsing them. Are they cooked? I will definately check out this site and learn all that I can. I'm already pretty energetic, so I can't wait to get a bigger burst of energy! Thank you!!

  • sv3sv3 Raw Newbie

    Hiya! Sprouting at home is dead easy and a great way to get protein/nutrients. Mung beans, lentils and quinoa are all simple/quick to sprout and you can add them to salads, make patties/burgers, add them to wraps, etc. Check out http://www.sproutpeople.com for more info.

    If you work out a lot, I would actually recommend Brendan Braziers 'Thrive Diet' book as he covers loads about what to eat prior/post exercise.

    Oh, and yes - chickpeas from a can will be cooked.

    Good luck on yout raw food journey!

  • Thank you for the help!

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    the protein over consumption is quite hyped but as a serious training athlete who does weight you do need more protein or repairing is going to be pretty difficult. So for this case i say its probably wise to consume some sort of raw vegan protein shake just so you can get at least 25g post workout.

    the vega protein shakes are good.

     

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    There's protein in every single whole fruit and vegetable. You don't need excess protein; you just need carbohydrates, protein, and fat (more carbs than anything), and also water, rest, sunshine, and happiness. :)

  • Jamie Sheridan, You mentioned Dr. Oz and the raw model that was a guest. That was Carol Alt. On her site she says she eats fish and meat. (I don't eat it or recommend it, but she's not a vegan.)

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    there is some protein in fruit and vegetables but if hes training like a proper athlete his protein and nutrient demand will be much higher than usual.

    0.8-1g per kg of bodyweight is a good rule and isnt excess.

     

  • Hey Jamie,

    I am a raw foodist who is also an avid fitness junkie. I work out 5 days a week doing weights, cardio and yoga. I have found that pumpkin seed protein powder or hemp protein powder really helps. Avacados, nuts, tahini (instead of peanut butter), some raw honey, green leafy veggies all help to build muscle.

    The strongest animals on the planet all eat 100% raw diets. Gorillas, elephants, horses etc.

    If they can grow big muscles on a raw diet then so can we!

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    Carbohydrate intake should increase as physical activity increases, which in turn will slightly increase protein.

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    building muscle is mainly just about excess calorie intake anyway, with a degree of that being sufficient protein.

    never tried the pumpkin seed protein powder before though interested in giving that a shot to vary things up.

     

  • nsns

    Even though I am not as active as you appear to be, I have noticed that I always feel better and recuperate faster after my activity days if I use a good amount of protein powder in some drink/shake/smoothie. I am still experimenting but I am quite sure that I have figured out that the usual "just eat your veggies and fruits and you will be fine" does not work for me - I start feeling weak.

    Different persons have different constitution. There is some stuff about metabolic types. So it might be best to listen to your body.

  • Jamie, congratulations on your new lifestyle! I am a small woman (5'6-118 lbs) and also hit the gym hard and recently went from a vegetarian diet that was very heavy protein (especially post-workout, where I had whey shakes) and lots of egg whites. I recently went vegan for ethical reasons, and raw because of research I did. I am finding my energy levels to be FANTASTIC and my workouts and training to be the same or better.

    I was worried about the raw diet having too much sugar from fruit and also about giving up the heavy protein after so many years of the typical bodybuilding ratios but that is really all a myth. RAW FOOD ROCKS, it is what your body needs, and wants. (I researched some vegan bodybuilding blogs and read some profiles of athletes like Nathane Jackson who eat all raw and have amazing bodies-so I knew "raw done right" can be done!)

    I am doing a huge green smoothie every day with a whole bag of spinach, and fruit. Plus I make some recipes from this site every few days and have it all ready to go so I can create yummy meals any time. Daily, I have the smoothie, plus not too many nuts-lots of veggies-a good dose of sprouted grains-fruit-some nut milks-and I'm all set. I make some sweets and keep them in the freezer for my sweet tooth. I find so many recipes on this site it's pretty easy!

    By the way, I am 48 yrs old!

    Best of luck!

  • freewitheftfreewitheft Raw Newbie

    I'm of the opinion that the mainstream version of how much protein we need is pretty hyped up. BUT if you are serious about building muscle, extra protein should get you there quicker. I use hemp protein in my smoothies, but not everyday. (I have to rotate all my foods so I don't develop new allergies, ugh)

  • Wow! Great info! I went to the store yesterday and got sunwarrior protein, and a barley carb powder and the superfood powder. I also found a store that sells dehydrated dishes in the fridge and they were really delicious! It felt great to eat solid food with a crunch that wasn't salad. I feel like I'm getting my strength back. Sadly, I put on 2 pounds with the dehydrated foods. I'm still trying to figure this out! Been raw for a week!!

    Are there any athletes that can give me a sample diet of their day, including what they eat before and after the gym....

    Should the last meal be the heaviest or lightest?

    O and I sprouted my chickpeas! And made raw hummus! Chickpeas are my favorite and I was sad when I learned that in the can they were cooked. I ordered my dehydrator (Excalibur) and can't wait to make little dried chickpea dishes!

  • Heather Caymen, I would love to email with you and learn from you! You look amazing! I'm trying to find the healthy balance of nutrients, protein, raw, but not too calorie dense etc, but not feeling weak etc, ya know? It's only been a wk. It's difficult to know when and what to eat, the fruit alone thing... etc. Lot's of rules!

  • Has anyone read the book "Raw Power! " It's about bodybuilding and the raw diet. I had trouble finding it. I finally did find it, but what do you guys think? Anyone read it?

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    James is the sunwarrior protein the rice one? If so how do you rate it, its been of interest to me for a while.

    just now i use the vega protein products mainly which i rate very highly aswell as hemp protein inbetween.

     

  • Raw Vegan Srouted Brown Rice Vanilla... Only been a few days but made all the difference to me compared to when I just had a kale juice before the gym, as I am new to raw. I would have usually had eggs. So I'm really enjoying it! I also used the barley carb powder too.

  • Heather Caymen, I would love to email with you and learn from you! You look amazing! I'm trying to find the healthy balance of nutrients, protein, raw, but not too calorie dense etc, but not feeling weak etc, ya know? It's only been a wk. It's difficult to know when and what to eat, the fruit alone thing... etc. Lot's of rules!

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    I'm a raw athlete. I start off my day with about 8 bananas, 2-3 c. of greens blended usually. Various fruits throughout the day, in plenty of quantity (to total about 3,000-3,500 calories at the end of the day), like pineapple, mango, grapes, strawberries, oranges, grapefruit, etc. End of day meal usually consists of more fruit, then an hour or two later a very large salad with dark greens and tomatoes, sometimes avocado.

  • That's amazing! What kind of sport do you do? Just only fruits and veggies all day? How do you feel?

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie

    I feel and look great. I do yoga, running, stair climbing, lots of sex.

  • Hey everyone! I just started a blog to journal my raw food journey at JamieSheridan.blogspot.com . I'm really doing it guys! Thanks!!

  • KittyKitty Raw Newbie

    Your gorgeous Jamie! I added your blog to my google reader. I just recently started one too..it really helps me personally having a blog because I make better food choices! I look forward to reading about your success :)

     

  • Jamie, thanks! You are stunning and you will be even more beautiful on raw food. I am new at this too and the first week I felt bloated and weird-your body is getting adjusted-be patient! you will "break through" and then it's like BAM! Your body just WAKES UP! A whole new way of being ALIVE! better workouts, skin, everything. Email me at heathercayman2@yahoo.com

    I have always been healthy but now I have people in my office asking me for smoothie recipes & other raw recipes..the results are dramatic!

    Don't think so much about "rules", we are all individuals. Lots of good inspiration out there: Brendan Frazier's book "Thrive" has some great info, Nathane Jackson is amazing (he's on Facebook, send him a friend request or read his profile on www.veganbodybuilding.com.

    1)get a great mini food processor (the Ego Black & Decker, $20) is amazing. You can whip up stuff in 5 minutes, like the Caulilflower Rice or a beet/apple/carrot/ginger salad. If you have a salad or two like that around, plus some sprouted lentils, plus some raw granola-you'll never be stuck. Plus the normal stock of produce.

    2) venture into raw soups-so worth it. They can be warm!

    Email me! heather

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