Raw Foods Diet & Raw Food Weight Loss Blog

“My biggest problems are starches… I grew up with them so they are emotional comfort foods.”

Well, it’s great that you already understand that your desire for starches is mostly coming from an emotional connection with those foods. You’re already much more aware of your body and its cravings than many others who are trying to lose weight.

If you have a strong connection with starches, then go ahead and eat them in the beginning of your journey to better health. Simply start by adding more and more fresh, raw, water-rich fruits and vegetables. The more you consume healthy fruits and vegetables, the more your body will begin to crave them (no kidding!! You will actually one day crave a salad as much as you’re craving starches right now!).

If you are eliminating other unhealthy foods from your diet (packaged, processed foods, cooked animal products, sugar, wheat, etc.) then you’re already doing some great things for your body. So, just keep doing what you’re doing. There’s no need to feel deprived of something that makes you feel good.

When you’re ready to cut back on the starches, you’ll do it. For now, go ahead and eat them while making the other changes. If you’re still struggling with starches after you’ve changed everything else in your diet, let us know and we’ll talk about dealing with comfort foods at that time. For now, however, most people are at a point where they can still make a lot of healthy dietary changes while still eating some comfort foods.

So, what do you think about that? How do you feel about the idea of continuing with the starches, even though you know they aren’t overly healthy for your diet? Do you think it’s okay to eat comfort foods? Comment now to let us know what you’re thinking. If anyone else is struggling with starches, or has overcome a starch addiction, please share with us how things are going for you.

A Pure Jeevan family member recently asked us how they can tell if they’re consuming too much protein. They felt because they have been eating too many nuts and seeds, because of how quick and filling they are, that perhaps their intake of protein is too high in their diet.

We fully understand the convenience of the quick energy that eating nuts and seeds can bring to one’s diet. We also have learned, through experience, that the more we rely on this type of nutrition (high in fat), the less energetic we feel long-term. There’s nothing wrong with eating nuts and seeds as a pick-me-up between meals, as long as you’re eating a small handful of them and your body does well with fats (not everyone can easily digest fats).

The first thing to keep in mind is that energy from nuts and seeds is most ideal when it comes from nuts and seeds that have been soaked, drained, and rinsed. When you soak nuts and seeds, they wake up (think about how seeds are woken up in the springtime with lots of moisture and then they begin to sprout and become living, growing plants). Those same nuts and seeds, left without moisture, will stay asleep until they are essentially soaked with water.

Once a nut or seed has sprouted, it is alive and has begun growing. In this state of growth, the protein is much higher than when it is a dormant, sleeping seed or nut. In fact, the entire nutritional profile of a sprouting nut or seed is significantly increased (this is the case for sprouted vegetable seeds, as well). So, be sure to soak your nuts and seeds, prior to eating them.

Another advantage to soaking nuts and seeds prior to eating them is the increase in digestability. Our bodies can more easily digest a sprouted plants. This is why many people who say they can’t eat nuts and seeds will find that simply soaking and sprouting them can make it very easy to digest and enjoy (this, of course, is not something recommended for anyone allergic to nuts).

For your question about how much protein is too much, that’s going to depend on each individual’s body and digestive health. There are many raw foodists who say you will receive adequate protein if you consume adequate calories. While this may be the case for most individuals, it’s not always going to work for everyone. Some people may have compromised digestive systems which make it impossible to extract and assimilate the protein and amino acids (which are really what our bodies require; proteins are broken down into amino acids) we take in through our diets. These individuals may not be getting (absorbing) enough protein from their meals.

For individuals with compromised digestion, it’s important to work on ways to fix the underlying problem while also adding extra protein to the diet to meet individual needs. Adding a high-quality, raw protein powder can do wonders for people who are requiring more protein. (Please see this previous post about protein powder and what we recommend.)

Too much protein can definitely be an area of concern, especially when the protein source is coming from animals (meat, dairy, eggs). Too much protein in the body can put stress on the kidneys, and has even been found to contribute to increased chances of cancer. Almost everyone consumes adequate protein in their diets, but there are a few who do require more.

It’s going to be tough for most people to obtain too much protein from nuts and seeds, because their bulk and fat content will be too filling. You’ll most likely feel unwell before you reach a point of consuming too much protein. Fat, on the otherhand, is easy to overconsume when someone is eating a lot of nuts and seeds.

Most cultures who consume animal protein do so in small amounts. The protein consumed is a very small portion compared to the amounts of vegetables and fruits in their diets. If you are concerned about consuming too much protein, you can consult with a healthcare practitioner to see about having a urine and blood test done to determine protein levels in your body. Even prior to experimenting with the raw diet, I routinely had blood tests done to see how my body was doing, and I continue to monitor my health with the help of bloodwork results. It’s something we’ve been recommending since we started our blog and still feel it’s one of the best ways to scientifically monitor what’s going on in your body and assess how well your dietary changes are working.

Just remember that we all have different requirements for the amount of protein we need (while some require very little, some require a higher percentage of their diet from protein), so it’s important to experiement with what feels best for your individual needs. Remember that your body changes over time, also, and your protein needs can shift and change, as well.

What are your thoughts about protein and how much have you found that your body needs in order to feel well? Please respond in the comments now to share your thoughts with us.

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Photo Credit: Photo by Voxeros (Flickr, Creative Commons)

I’m not sure I’m getting enough carbs ‘cuz I eat very little grains or beans and I am always worried of overdoing fruit.

Well, rest assured that if you are consuming enough calories with your diet, and not exclusively eating fats and proteins, you are most likely getting enough carbohydrates. Carbohydrates exist in just about anything you can eat. By simply eating enough food during the day, you can easily meet your body’s carbohydrate requirements.

There are two classifications of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Grains and beans fall under the complex category, while fruits fall under the simple category.

The most important difference you need to be concerned about when it comes to carbohydrates, however, is between refined and whole (or natural). A refined carboyhdrate has been processed in one way or another, mostly to remove the the high fiber from the food.

Foods that are considered refined are white flour products, white rice, processed and packaged cereals and snacks, etc. Refined carbohydrates, because they lack adequate fiber, are quickly broken down and rapidly create a rise in blood sugar levels. Natural (or whole) carbohydrates, on the other hand, have not been stripped of their essential fiber and therefore do not as easily cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels.

When it comes to overdoing carbohydrates, one of the main issues would be for individuals who have any kind of insulin issues going on. In that case, you’d want to be careful to not overload the body with simple carbohydrates (which include most sweet fruits). For more information on this, please view a previous post we shared about fruit consumption, insulin resistance, and PCOS.

Eating large quantities of vegetables, however, rarely causes a problem even though they are excellent sources of carbohydrates. The only vegetables that may be an exception are the sweeter vegetables (such as carrots, beets, sweet potatoes).

The percentage of carbohydrate needs in the body, in relation to the percentages of protein and fats, varies for each individual. It is important to experiment with your diet to get to a balance that feels best for your own needs. One diet can not work for every individual. Even one diet that works great for somone may not always work well for that same individual. Over time we need to realize that our body’s needs change and we must continually try to meet those changing needs.

Tracking your protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake is not something we recommend for everyone. It can be confusing at times, frustrating, and time-consuming. However, for anyone who’s overly concerned about such things, or who wants to take a more scientific approach to diet, go ahead and use a program that helps you keep track of the nutritional content and balance of your diet. The free program we recommend the most is Cron-o-meter.

How many of you are concerned about your carbohydrate intake? How many of you never monitor your intake of carbs, fats, or protein? Comment now to let us know what you have found to be important for your own diet.

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Photo Credit: Photo by Travelin Librarian (Flickr, Creative Commons)

I need fast & easy meal ideas (esp. breakfast & dinner) — time is a luxury I don’t have (taking 18 college credits, internship, PT job and I started a natural perfume business!). By the end of the day I am so exhausted that I’d rather not eat than go in the kitchen & try making somethin raw.

If you’re dealing with exhaustion or fatigue, we’d like to direct you to a recent blog post discussing the subject. As for time being a luxury, we address that, as well, in the same post. You’ll always hear the same thing from us about limited time in relation to your diet: Make the time! Your overall health is what’s most important in life and it’s imperative that you arrange your life so that you have plenty of time to not only prepare healthy meals, but to also eat them in peace without feeling rushed.

With that said, it’s also important to realize that eating healthy doesn’t need to take hours out of your life. There are plenty of raw food recipes that are not only quick and easy, but also packed with nutrition! We’ll share, below, some links for some of our favorite recipes that are quick, easy, nutritious, and delicious! These recipes are located here on our blog.

• Smooth Love Smoothie
• Wendi’s Mini Pizzas
• Refreshing Cauliflower Mint Salad
• Fruit Salad with Lemon Cream Sauce
• Orange Pudding
• Hummus
• Young Coconut Shake
• Egg-less Egg Salad
• The Blue Hawaii Smoothie

Smoothies are going to be your best friend if you don’t like spending a lot of time preparing your meals. There’s nothing wrong with consuming smoothies for both breakfast and dinner. They are easy to make and clean up afterward. Our bodies are designed to chew foods, however, so be sure to “chew” your smoothies and even possibly snack on some raw veggies between meals that require some chewing (like sticks of celery–which should never be considered a diet food, but rather a fun and crunchy snack that cleans our teeth, freshens our breath, and nourishes our bodies).

Here at Pure Jeevan, we many times consume smoothies for breakfast and dinner, with some more complex meals for lunchtime. Go ahead and experiment to see what feels good for your body and your personal preferences.

For even more raw food recipes, be sure to visit the incredible database of recipes waiting for you over on the All Raw Directory. It’s a community-run site, which means you can add links, flag links that aren’t appropriate or no longer work, and work together within the raw community to collect the greatest resource of not only raw food recipes, but everything related to raw foods!

We know many of you in the Pure Jeevan family have found quick and easy raw food recipes that you regularly consume. Please share those recipes now, below, in the comments for others to try! If you have links to share, please don’t post them in the comments — instead enter them into the All Raw Directory’s recipe section so that even more people can find the link!

Here’s a rare question a Pure Jeevan family member recently asked:

I eliminated 100lbs on raw food, but I’ve been “stuck” for the last year. I feel absolutely amazing when I can stick to raw food, but it’s sooo hard when time is limited!

First, congratulations on your success with the raw food lifestyle! You must be feeling like a new person, even though you feel a bit stuck right now.

This is a rare question, because most individuals who write to us are just starting out with their raw food lifestyles.When they begin consistently eating raw foods, we often hear their tales of joy in how the weight just “magically” disappears.

For an answer to your question, you’ll need to take a look at your overall diet. I’m guessing you’ve been pretty much eating and living the same way for quite a while now if things aren’t changing for you.

You mention feeling great when sticking with raw foods, but being limited with time, so I’d like to direct you to a previous post about not having enough time for health that may be very helpful for you.

Once you have a better handle on your time (and please make this a priority, as it’s the only thing that’s going to help you long term), take a closer look at your overall diet and realize that when we are stuck, it’s time to change things up. When we’ve had success with weight loss by eating one way, it’s not easy to change because we feel attached to something that was working. If it’s no longer working, however, your only option is to change things a bit if you want to see more success.

If you’re feeling better with more raw foods in your diet, then add more. It sounds like maybe you already know that’s the answer for your particular situation, since you said you feel absolutely amazing when sticking with a raw food diet.

For some, however, they may already be eating a raw food diet and they feel stuck without losing any weight. There are many reasons this can happen. The first, of course, is that they have already reached an ideal weight for their bodies and they are placing unrealistic expectations on what is a healthy weight. It’s best, in these situations, to seek information on what is considered a healthy weight for height and bone structure (and take into account that if you are very athletic, you may weigh a bit more than what’s considered “normal” because muscle weighs more than fat).

If you’re definitely overweight, however, it’s time to switch things up with your diet. If you’re eating high fat, try low fat. If you’re eating high sugar, try low sugar. Don’t be afraid to try more fat if you’ve been eating a low fat diet, also. For my own body, I required more fat in the beginning in order to release unhealthy fat.

Keep in mind that some bodies require more carbohydrates than others, some require more protein, and some require more fat. Be sure to experiment and find what works best for your body. And, when something is working well for you (you are releasing excess weight, feeling energetic, moving beyond health issues), then keep doing it.

When you feel you are “stuck,” however, the best way to move beyond that stage is to experiment. Change is good for not only our physical health, but also good for other aspects of our lives. Don’t just think about changing your diet, try changes in other areas of your life, as well. If dietary changes don’t seem to be helping you, look to other aspects of yourself to see what may need some changes in order to move forward with a healthier overall self.

Be sure to let us know how you’re doing, and if you’re finding ways to move beyond your stuck stage. Many of us have found ourselves frustrated in the past, unable to figure out a way to reach our goals–sharing helps all of us.

For those who have succeeded in finding ways to move beyond your “stuck” stages, please share a comment now about what helped you!

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