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FAD to Raw

Hey Guys,

I’ve been browsing the recipes on this site for a few days now, and am really looking forward to trying new recipes and continuing down the raw path. Let me tell you a little bit about myself…

I’m a 24 year old father of two, 5’10 and 225. I typically eat large portions of fattening foods (Nachos, Chicken Tenders, French Fries, Hot Dogs, etc) and very little vegetables or fruits. I finally got sick of being fat and feeling like crap, so I made a bet with my wife that I could do 100% raw for two weeks to “Detox” my body and lose some pounds.

I’m just finishing up day one today, and so far I like what I’ve eaten. I’ve had the Walnut Taco “Meat” (http://goneraw.com/recipes/26-Spicy-Walnut-Taco… in some Romaine Lettuce leaves, the Avocado Kale Salad (http://goneraw.com/recipes/6-Avocado-Kale-Salad), and the Hummus (http://goneraw.com/recipes/9-Hummus). I’ve also given up everything but water and Soy Milk for the two week period.

I expected to hate the taco meat, like the salad and love the hummus, but I liked them all, with the exception of the Hummus but that’s probably because I made it without the Tahini (I don’t have any).

The one thing that’s a little bit daunting to me about the idea of eating Raw for two weeks (or more) is my utter lack of recipes to cook from. I know of very few to make other than the ones I’ve listed, and with so many on this site it’s a little hard to wade through. I looked for a sorting feature but didn’t see any—-can any of you recommend some of the best and most popular recipes on the site?

If this goes well, I might end up staying raw permanently, but I sure could use some help!

Thanks,

J

(P.S. FAD means Fat American Diet)

Comments

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    Congratulations and welcome!!! Look at the home page where the most popular recipes are listed… My favorites are Zoe’s spring onion and different nut pate`... I seem to enjoy them with the addition of cayenne pepper, the cheddar cheese with the pepper is my favorite… A multiple fruit smoothie for breakfast and for lunch a green smoothie, I use spinach, parsley, ginger, tomatoes, carrots, beets, hemp seed, sunflower seeds, ACV and water…

  • carrie6292carrie6292 Raw Newbie

    J – it depends on what some of your absolute FAVORITE (not things you ate just because they were convenient) foods are. My favorite flavors are Thai and Curry. Since you have kids, i’m assuming you’d like to keep it simple. I love, love, love Bryan Au’s Mock Tuna Salad. I can get you the recipe if you’d like. I also really enjoy Matt Amsdens curry corn salad. You can also take that Taco Meat and make a Taco Salad out of it – cut up some peppers, onions, lettuce. Then, take an avacado and mash it all up with some Miso Paste (mellow white if you have it) – it’s not crucial, but does help the taste. Then, add some diced tomatoes and onions to the avo and mash that all together to make guacamole. You can make a salsa for the taco’s if you want… or, just take a red pepper and blend with some sesame oil and a little cayenne and you ahve a nice dressing. Gosh, there are so many great recipes. I will say, that you will find recipes you just don’t like. And, that’s okay :) Again, it just depends on your tastes. Good luck to you – 2 weeks will be up before you know it and then you’ll be a converted raw foodist :)

  • Bananna1333Bananna1333 Raw Newbie

    Try and simplify the process by eating fruit or drinking smoothies as much as possible. Very cleansing, very energizing, and most importantly very simple. Always have bananas on hand in varying degrees of ripeness.

    Then make a recipe for supper, and just in case it sucks, have a staple salad that you like….Then at the times of the week you have more time, you can try fun stuff.

    Find a website you can order these specific ingredients like the tahini you mentioned. Or if you live in the US, I hear whole foods has everything pretty much.

    And if you don’t make it this time around, just tell your wife that you will make it the two weeks, and the challenge is NOT off! ...and then just keep trying. Never quit trying till you get it, it’s very worth it!

  • I’ve just made the Veggie Chili (http://goneraw.com/recipes/4367-Veggie-Chili) from the front page, and it’s really good! I removed some of the cilantro because what’s in it seemed like enough. I’m a big chili fan and I really like this recipe. Too bad it’s sans beans though.

  • If you have a dehydrator i would suggest making the raw Peanut butter and banana sandwich. The bread is soft like real bread and the sandwich is so good you feel like you are eating dessert! Also most desserts are awesome from this site. May I suggest raw reese’s peanut butter cups?

  • Nearing the end of day two here…I had some raw almonds and raw walnuts coated in a little bit of raw honey and a banana for breakfast, some cucumber and red bell pepper nori rolls for lunch, and I’m not sure about dinner. Maybe a salad or something? I’ve also snacked on some fresh pineapple throughout the day. I’ve forgotten how good the simple things can taste! This pineapple is so sweet and delicious, it beats out a Snickers any day.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    Click on my profile and look at the recipes I have posted, there are some really popular ones on there which are cheap and easy to make. It takes time to get the food right, I mean, you’re learning a whole new way of “cooking” from scratch, but it does get easier if you experiment a lot and let pleasure be your guide!

    My husband’s recipes are popular too you can find them on his profile here: http://goneraw.com/account/show/506

    We found that making really good salads with tons of stuff in them works well. If you make a creamy rich salad dressing and add avocado, green onion, spinach, green apple, red pepper, sprouts, seeds etc it will be something you really start to crave. Also don’t be afraid to add salt. Especially to salads. People will probabaly shoot me down for saying that but it really makes a huge difference!! Add a bit of salt to sweet dishes and a bit of sweet to savoury dishes and everything will taste really good. Just use decent additive free salt like sea or rock salt.

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    if you are missing the chewiness of meaty things, eggplant is your best friend. i have a recipe for marinaded eggplant, but all you have to do is chop it up and let it sweat. coat it with a dressing you like, or put it in the chili. you might not miss the beans that way.

    congratulations! by boyfriend is interested in going raw, but cheeseburgers are his failing. any suggestions?

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    oh, also, one of my fave things to do is make myself a lettuce cup for every meal. romaine works best. you arrange the leaves all pointing up like a cup filled with pencils. then you use it to sop everything up, or roll your food in as you eat… like a tortilla, or bread. =)

  • @Pianissima

    Having only finished my second day now, I can’t say I’d be a well of advice. I think having you, an experienced raw foodie should help him a lot. The complete lack of knowledge on my part is rough so far—-having eaten cooked food for 24 years, I have to learn a whole new way of thinking/seasoning/preparing, etc (like Zoe says). The main thing I think that will help me is my strong will. If he doesn’t want to do it, he won’t be successful at it.

  • It’s probably been mentioned before but JUICE JUICE JUICE! My breakfast consists of greens (whatever is around, spinach, silverbeet, lettuce, Chinese cabbage) a banana, an orange or pineapple for the base, and loads of berries plus an avocado (if I have any) and cucumber all juiced together with muy hand held bamex…not very sophisticated but does an amazing job. For lunch I normally have a simple salad with an amazing dressing or raw broccoli dipped in either flax oil and salt or flax seed oil/avo, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt and raw honey….Mixed all together to make a dip….AMAZING! I commend you on your recipe making at such an early stage of going raw. I promise that once you start seeing results, you will NOT want to go back to your former self…and of course if you wife see’s the change as well, she may be inclined to join you which will make the lasting experience even easier. GOOD LUCK

    If you do go back to SAD eating, I suggest you at least read ‘The China Study’ by Dr T.Campell. Especially having young children, it may be enough for you to change permanently, if not to raw vegan but to vegan.

    GOOD LUCK AGAIN.

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    If you search the for dancing chicken salad, it is good too.

    I just had a big salad with kale, cabbage, carrot, lettuce, sprouts, green onion, tomato, avocado and dressing made from sunflower seeds. YUM! Just eat lots of it.

    A fruit smoothie or green smoothie is a great breakfast.

  • End of day three now…I’m starting to feel better. I had an apple and some celery/blueberry juice for breakfast, spinach and tomato salad salad for lunch, and bell pepper nori rolls and red grapes for dinner. I got a crazy craving for something crunchy, so I checked out whole foods and they have some raw crackers by “Lydia’s Organics” that I picked up. I got the Italian kind, and they taste really good. I’m browsing around the site now looking for something like a dip that I can stack on top of them to satisfy my crunchy craving. According to my scale I’ve already lost something like 5lbs, give or take. My wife, who started the South Beach diet has lost 3 lbs in the same amount of time. I think both of those are good numbers, but I’m impressed at how quickly I’m losing weight (hopefully it’s fat!).

  • amysueamysue Raw Newbie

    Hey jsbarone! You might find Philip McClusky’s blog helpful http://www.lovingraw.com/aboutme/ He also came from a SAD or FAD diet and has now been raw for years and has blogged about the entire experience, amazing tranformation!

  • Finishing up day four now, and I’m having a pretty difficult time. I have very little energy, and I’m really getting sick of greens. Not being able to cook anything or at least put a good dressing on a salad is starting to bum me out too. I don’t have a lot of the products or tools (dehydrator) to make a lot of the more gourmet stuff, so I’m stuck to my tiny food processor and knife skills for now.

    Life isn’t helping either—-tomorrow my wife and I are moving our family across town, so that kills my ability to get raw meals together easily. I’m really just craving something substantial…this sucks because I don’t want to quit!

  • CarmentinaCarmentina Raw Newbie

    Strive for completing the week. Reach that milestone before you slip up. And remember, a lot of us aren’t 100%. I’m more like 75-80%. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, but it would be awesome if you could complete the week. That way you could see the results and maybe opt for another 100% week. Good luck.

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