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Oh, what about a raw hummus recipe?? I only make really rich stuff on weekends but the “real hummus” recipe by ofek on this site is awesome. Filling and not too heavy. I was mixing it this week with fresh arugala greens for dinner..yumm…I imagine with the sesame seeds and olive oil, it had a few more extra calories than I needed…but for someone looking to add them, this could work :-)
Ok, I’m thinking mine is higher now. I didn’t realize there was 290 calories in 2tbs of olive oil. The dressing I use is usually a mix of olive oil, tahini and lemmon juice and a little bit of namu shoyu. Looking to learn more dressing options though :) Don’t want to get bored.
The fact of the matter is that right now you may feel fine on the outisde but you can’t see what is going on with your insides. Anyone on a diet that restrictive is going to have health problems, maybe forming now and asymptomatic. The body is canabolizing itself, it’s eating itself alive in order to make up for all the nutrients it’s being denied by such a restrictive diet. Fruit only does not cut it. It’s not balanced. One can not obtain the balance of nutrients there body needs to function properly on fruit alone. It also can’t receive the ENERGY (kcals) it needs. The brain will shrink, the body will break down. It may not feel like it now but if you have been at this awhile then this is what’s happening and eventually you will notice the changes, some harder to recover from, some can result in perm. damage. This is nothing to fool around with: your health, your life, your future… Food is needed to sustain life. We need nutrients from our foods to function, to live dear and be healthy. No one on a restrictive diet comes out clean, one way or another they will pay… I highly suggest you seek help from a trained professional who can help you balance your dietary lifestyle out on RAW. This really concerns me…
Even if my diet was 290 calories more I still wouldn’t be over 1000. Gosh I feel like I eat a lot! When I’m at home I’m always grazing but it’s only on veggies and fruit.
I do make green smoothies but I don’t have any big containers(I bring them to work and drink them on the way).
When I drink smoothies I literally am not hungry til evening. I usually bring one other piece of fruit anyway just in case. I’m keeping close count today and am going to see if I can get more. I’ve only eaten an apple so far but I have another apple and a banana. I plan on trying to be more conscious tonight when I make dinner. We’ll see how I do.
dance-I guess we posted at the same time. I do feel healthy, occasionally bloated but otherwise very energetic and I sleep well. I don’t feel like I”m depriving myself and only thought this was a problem when I bring it up and everyone freaks out. I”m in no way purposely restricting my intake at all. I love food! I really love eating!
It’s hard for me to get up to a big caloric intake on things that make me feel good (fruits and veggies).
I eat about 1800-2200 cal per day. 1200 isnt enough at all for your body, esp if you work out. I get cals from chia seeds, hemp oil, avo, flax seeds. I cant do too many nuts. truoublesjustabubble—try putting in some chia gel (1/3 c chia seeds in 2 c water, soak for 30 min. gel keeps for weeks in fridge) into your smoothies. Start with 1 T and increase weekly. It digests well and gets things moving in the am. Also fresh fruit juice has lots of cals. Its great to start the day with 20-30 oz of fresh apple/orange juice- that will add 300-400 cals right there and no digestion involved. I had to start counting my calories to make sure i got enough too- otherwise i was around 1k per day. Its important for your body to get enough.
Caleb it’s actually 240 calories for 2 TBs of olive oil. :)
why did this get crossed out???
Thanks Bubba. I’ll see if I can get chia seeds reasonably.
Seriously though, I really feel like I eat alot.
yes, chia seeds are good too. I make chia seed pudding sometimes on weekend mornings for breakfast using cashew milk and cinnamon..yum!! ...probably more calories than I need but it’s incredibly nourishing with the chia seeds and very tasty!
I feel the same way troubble. I think I eat enough. If I’m hungry I eat something. I don’t feel that I’m restricting my diet in anyway. I feel healthy, energetic with 800-1000 calories. Reading some of your posts I see that everybody is very active and I am not. Maybe that’s why I do well with lower cal’s.
I don’t think you eat a lot of food, JoyceH. I notice that a lot of us here tend to judge other’s daily diets based on our own wants and needs. I think it’s wrong to do so. If someone wants to eat just enough to maintain their weight, good for them. If someone wants to madly work out 4 hours a day so they can load in tons more food, it’s their thing. And I don’t see any rules as to how much one should have for a meal or salad. I was watching a video on raw foods a few months ago and was amazed that some folks go at me for making a HUGE green salad(because of the volume) but yet load up their tiny bowl of lettuce with a massive amount of olive-oil and seed-laden dressing, as though they were being dainty by eating only a few leaves, hee-hee. It was kind of cute:-)
By the way, you look great!
This is amazing! I agree with TheRawDance – starvation/malnutrition problems don’t always show right away, but they’re still doing damage.
I don’t worry about fat, and I don’t normally count calories, either. A few months ago I counted calories for a few days out of curiosity, and I was eating around 3,000 – 3,500 per day. That was after I had been hospitalized & was underweight & nutrient-deficient, so had to eat more than usual. On a regular basis, I probably eat 2,500 calories per day. I soak nuts & seeds to make them easier on my system, & I use hempseeds, sunflower seeds, avocados, young coconuts, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. I eat lots of greens & veggies & fruits for nutrient density, and add nuts/seeds/avocados & sometimes oil to fill me up. The fruits I eat a lot of are the most “dense” ones, like mangoes & bananas. I often snack on two or three big mangos to hold me over while I prepare my dinner to eat 30 minutes later. I eat probably 5 or more meals per day, and a meal might be 2 heads of cauliflower with a really oily marinade, or 3 young coconuts, or a batch of banana/Brazil nut pancakes (2 c. Brazil nuts and 3 bananas), or a big salad (made of 1/2 pound of Spring mix with veggies, an avocado or two, a dressing with oil & maybe some seed cheese or hemp seeds on top), or seed cheese with whatever raw crackers & veggies I have around, and raw pudding for dessert… I like raw food, and I eat a lot of it. :)
tjab – I found the spring onion cheese easier on my tummy when I leave out the pine nuts & oil – cheaper that way, too. :)
The reason people eating mainly fruits and vegetables FEEL as if they are eating alot is because they are so low in calories. This same thing happens when people go on diets that consist of mainly produce – they get this whole mentality where they feel like al they are doing is eating. Calories = energy, that’s what kcals are… It is very easy to burn off the low amount energy from fruits and vegetables (unless someone is packing tons of fresh and dried fruits in 1 meal then it would be more calorically dense) and realistically energy foods come from complex carbs not simplex (fruit), protein and fats. This is where we get quality energy from. This is what holds us over. Fruit raises the glucose levels and tricks the system. You go up, you crash down fast and you must eat again to raise the glucose levels.
Sometimes I use www.thedailyplate.com to help track my foods so I know I am getting enough of what I know my body needs. It helps me stay on track and keep myself in check. I don’t follow these calcuations to a T but I do use them as a base guideline to see where I am at each meal and throughout the day. The closer one can get to their optimal amount, the better.
You could eat a bucket of produce and feel as if you ate a lot, sure maybe in bulk density but not in caloric density. It’s great that you are getting a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals but complex carbs, quality protein and healthy fats are crucial for brain and body functioning.
I write this out of concern, not to judge your dietary lifestlye. I am concerned for your health if you aren’t getting enough of what your body needs. This goes out to everyone, including myself when I am restricting. EveryBODY is different but there are basic guidelines and 1k or under doesn’t cut it for optimal functioning. You deserve optimal health! You deserve a body that will hold up strong now and in your future!
Hugs:::
Have you tried sea algaes or seaweeds? What about nut or seed based protein in your smoothies? I’ve made it a habit to add hemp products to a lot of my foods, either in raw seed or raw oil formula. Someone else mentioned CHIA seeds, they are divine! I love those : )
Btw. you mentioned fruits and vegetables make you feel good. What happens with other foods? What factors what makes you feel good vs. bad … is psychological? physical and physiological derived? What happens with sprouted legumes, grains, nuts and seeds?
Ps. Joyce: we are almost twin salads today! I had to pack on some condensed calories because I have stuff to do today and will need the energy since I don’t often snack… Mine is tomato from my garden, oregano/basil/sage from my garden, purslane, 1 big ripe avocado, 1 tbsp dulse, 1 tbsp raw hemp seeds, 1 tbsp raw olive oil, pink sea salt/fresh blk pepper… My favorite things to mix together are avocado, dulse and hemp. THE BEST! Lemon is yum too, we have a tree but I didn’t use any for this meal.
Angie: Your intake is amazing! I apsire mine to one day be as balanced/nutritious as yours. Wow, thank you for sharing this with all of us. I’m so proud of you for being able to take responsibility for your health, especially after hospitalization (been there, done that, no fun at all especially if you are RAW). I love that you snack on MANGOS! They are divine. Yum, I’m going to buy some today when I get my organic tropical fruits. Anyhow, your body must really respond well to your dietary intake and thank you. Offerings all over!
TheRawDance – Thanks! I was hospitalized for diabetic ketoacidosis, which meant that my body wasn’t getting what it needed – even though I was putting the food into my body, there wasn’t enough insulin to get the energy & nutrients where they were needed. Stress caused my insulin needs to go up DRASTICALLY, and I wasn’t giving my body the insulin it needed; I was trying to get my insulin needs to go down first. Yes, my body was cannibalizing itself, and it’s not a good way to be. Lesson learned, & I am much more gentle & careful with myself nowadays. Part of my new mentality is to judge each day & each circumstance independent of others that really don’t apply. For example, I now weigh about eight pounds more than what my body really thrives on, but I know I wouldn’t thrive at that weight right now, because my body still needs to rebuild nutrient stores that became so depleted, and restricting my calories would mean I don’t eat enough of the right foods to give my body those nutrients. I also eat differently depending on my schedule – I eat dried fruit when I need something to eat between classes at school or while I’m out running errands, even though at home & with plenty of time, I prefer to eat fresh stuff & rarely if ever eat dried fruit. Life is crazy – I adapt. :)
rawdance-when I say I feel bad with nuts and rich foods it means I literally feel bad. I get nauseous from the richness and usually headachey(sweets give me headaches) but it’s not psychological because I really want to be able to get up there in calories I just don’t want to feel sick too.
I’m going to get some hemp and chai and hopefully that will help and won’t be to rich. I’ll eat more veggies and fruit if I have to to maintain. I seriously LOVE eating big unpeeled carrots with seed cheese.
angie-what do you do instead of olive oil? Water? I already leave out the pine nuts(waaaaay to rich for me. ha)
I am so happy to hear you are getting healthy again dear! Blessings to you.
I was thinking about the original concern of this post and adding more caloric intake to a previously existing diet. Honeywater: would you be willing to track for a day and allow those who study or have studied nutrition offer you advice on ways to increase your macronutrient ratio based on your tracking? or even just caloric intake suggestions based on an average day of nutritional intake? Little things like this can make a big difference.
Also, the bloating problems often occur from too much bulk or digestive disrupt. If digestive disrupt is present it’s hard to fully digest and absorb nutrients your body needs. Too much of one good thing can be more harmful at times than helpful. It’s all about balance : )
yeah, when I get bloated green smoothies totally take care of it and I think it’s because they give my digestive system a break.
I should probably mention that my digestive system being HORRIBLE was why I went to raw food in the first place. I’m doing 100% better now even if I do occasionally get bloated.
I get hungry too but it takes a while. Like when I have a twenty ounce green smoothie (handful of spinach, apple, banana, berries and water) in the morning I literally don’t feel hungry til around two or three and then i have a piece of fruit and when I get home (four thirty-ish) I have some veggies and continue to graze on veggies during the evening. But they’re sooo low in calories!
troublesjustabubble – you sound a lot like me! I went raw several months ago because my digestion is just awful. It will never be great but it was way better on raw (I went off raw last month when I moved in with my parents, but am back on it now). My stomach feels better when I eat less, but I don’t want to fall into eating too little. I wish I could live off green smoothies, my stomach would probably be way better – but I also just love crunching on carrots with a little hummus, I could never give up the crunchy stuff! hmm I may try the smoothie thing for a week though to give my stomach a break.
nyrunner-yeah, that is just like me. I feel like I need to give my digestive system a break all the time. It’s bad because when my endometriosis started growing it melded onto my intestines and they just don’t work the same as they used to. ha. Now I do ‘go’ once a day and that’s a relief. I did a water fast recently and once I reached the end(after the rough stuff) I felt better than I ever had before.
LULU – you are not a “pig” hush with that nonsense but if we are playing animals let me be a wild unicorn and we can roam the forest free ; ) It seems you are listening to your body and praticing intuitive eating and what honor you are doing by feeding it raw, when it wants and what it wants. This is part of the balancing act we need with nutrition: the science of food and eating: especially the psychology of eating. So pat yourself on the back for all the progress you make on a daily basis at acheiving optimal nutritional health : ) . As for those with digestive problems, I am one as well. Raw has really helped my GI tract. I wouldn’t even know where to begin! It’s been a lifesaver as it offers many healing benefits. As for smoothies, foods that are pureed and broken down are a lot easier to digest. Therefore, it’s going to be a lot more gentle on the GI tract. This is why smoothies, shakes and raw soups from fruits and vegetables often digest better. My food processor has become, in ways, like a side kick to my digestive tract… it helps break things down for me – the rest is left to digestive juices and the enyzme action which is very abundant in raw/live foods. Also, finely chopping tough greens like kale and such helps break down the celluar walls – this is why a lot of people finely chop them or add healthy fats like raw oils to aide in this process… some add acids from citrus fruits/etc. as well. I am not one who can just sit there and chomp a chunk of kale but when I break it down I seem to do just fine.
Trouble: your smoothies sound delish. I love bananas and spinach together, great pick me up and filler, especially at 20oz and if you are sipping it slowly then it’s going to sustain your appetite longer. I sip mine and chew even though it’s thick liquid. You could easily add or replace something for an avocado to get extra kcals in if you were looking to do so. Even a tablespoon of hemp seed oil would help or ground flax. A little tablespoon can work a lot of extra magic when need be!!! Mmm you got me craving my spinach, banana, coconut water and/or flesh, raw honey smoothies yummm sometimes bee pollen added too.
haha rawdance-they ARE good! I do love them but my problem is that they fill me for a LONG time. I don’t know if it’s actually a problem or that it’s just what I need. I”m a little confused now. ha
Sorry if I seemed to be off topic – I was trying to make the point that a lack of nutrients causes problems in the body long before they’re seen. I was sick for several months, but even I had no idea how bad things were getting from not getting the nutrients my body needed.
tjab – yes, I just add water to the seed cheese to replace the oil.
Also, if it’s an appetite issue for anyone, there are certain nutrient deficiencies that cause a lack of appetite – phosphorous is one, and it’s in nuts & seeds but not in a lot of other raw plant foods, so it’s easy to become deficient if you’re raw vegan & not eating nuts & seeds.
Angie, please do not be sorry. You shared your strength with all of us and motivated me to want to cotinue to fight to recover from issues that prevent me from eating properly. I solute you and give gratitude to your honesty and strength!!! I am so glad you are healing well, it’s inspiring to me and I am sure many others. BIG HUGS to you.
(The only reason I addressed my comment the way I did is so I could break train of thought and jump into a new sentence/topic - I am so glad you decided to write everything you have thus far!)
angie-thank you! I didn’t know that about appetite but it makes sense. I mean, for example, today I didn’t have a green smoothie. I haven’t been hungry a single bit all day so I had to just eat a couple apples and a banana anyway but usually I am hungry when I have the smoothie. So that probably means don’t skip the smoothie. ha.
I’ll definitely make that seed cheese with water. We’ll see how it goes! I think even if it was half oil half water it would be less hard for me to eat.
lulushka8 – Interesting; nuts are a good source of zinc, too!
I know there is at least one B vitamin related to appetite, too, but I can’t find my book. I’ll update if/when I find it.
lulushka8 – You’re right – I guess I eat “more than a lot of nuts” a lot of days. :) Half a raw chocolate pie/cheesecake (2 1/4 cups of nuts) has at least a whole day’s supply of zinc, and I have sometimes eaten that as a meal. A batch of banana/brazilnut pancakes has 2/3 of the day’s need, and 1 cup of sesame seeds has 74% of the needed amount for a 2,000 calorie diet. Although, I would really LOVE to eat 8 cups of fresh green peas (another day’s supply)! :)
Thanks for your concern lulushka, it’s appreciated. I am new to Raw food, so I need to learn as much as possible. I have a friend who was 100% raw (until yesterday actually) who has helped me out a lot, but I can’t be bugging him every day. I am also not 100% raw, but do have days I am, so I do need to make sure I am maintaining the proper caloric intake on those days, not just the days I am 100% raw. Lately I have been adding more fruit into my smoothies in the morning, and today I bought a lot of avocados. I also plan on going through my uncookbooks soon and finding some new recipes to try. Plus I need to prepare some foods for the week, So hopefully I can get that done this weekend.
Caleb – Avocados sound good! I like to chop them up with tomatoes & sprouts, with a little salad dressing drizzled on top. Also of course guacamole, and raw chocolate pudding! Good luck. :)
For anyone who has a Costco nearby, it’s a good place to get avocados cheap! They’re not organic, but avocados are usually not sprayed anyway.
I recently started Quantum Eating. I only eat 2 times a day now. I dont eat after 4 and the next day I dont eat until noon. I wait till Im very hungry which is usually 1130 or noon then I eat. Contrary to what people think the LESS food we eat the more efficient our bodies run. most people over eat or eat all day. the body breaks down the nutrients and takes them in much more efficiently when youre TRULY hungry.Ive been RAW for a year now and fruitarian for 6 months.I was always tired off and on, I had energy but tired untill I started eated eating less and not eating after 4 pm.Ive noticed a HUGE difference in my running, I run between 4 and 5 am and before this I would be burping and my stomach would be gurgling while running and it slowed me down because I was eating clear up till I went to bed at 9 or 10 at night. I hit the snooze a few times when the alarm went off because I was still tired, now that i dont eat after 4 pm Ive been getting up BEFORE my alarm goes off and while running theres no more burping and stomach gurgling,Anyway about the CALORIES. I only eat between noon and 4 every day but when I eat I eat bananas mostly and 1 large bananna has 100 calories. yesterday for example i ate about 10 bananas in a matter of an hour. Then I ate about oh 6 or 8 gayla apples. I medium apple has about 77 calories according to nutrition data so theres another 4 to 600 calories. around 3 or 330 when I get hungry again Ill eat a bag of grapes which is about 4 lbs so theres another 1200 or more calories there. I figure I eat about 3000 calories a day rough guess.Sometimes I eat SOAKED sunflower seeds, but ONLY if theyre soaked overnight, then I wont eat them for about 2 days because I set them in the sun to dry naturally by the sun and theyre so good! And as far as the claories there I dont know. I eat peanuts in the shell ocassionally as well but not too much nuts and seeds.Raw peanuts in the shell, theres no salt and theyre in their natural state right from the plant or vine, whatever theyre grown on,lol I know theyre from a plant or something, just never checked how theyre grown. Anyway, there you go.I feel so much better eating like this so my body doesnt spend so much energy digesting.