Raw Foods Diet & Raw Food Weight Loss Blog

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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Many of you know some of my story of healing. I suffered with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) since I was a young teenager. Over the years, I began putting on more and more weight until I was nearly morbidly obese. I learned a lot about PCOS and how there is always an accompanying issue with Insulin Resistance.

Countless overweight women search the Internet looking for help in dealing with PCOS, hoping to find a natural cure to the harsh medications often prescribed that tend to cause other health concerns in our bodies. One of the most often asked questions is from women who have a pretty good understanding of PCOS. They want to know if they need to be careful with fruit consumption if they have PCOS and are trying to lose weight.

The easiest answer to this question is a simple, “Yes.” However, in order to more easily lose weight, it’s best to understand some of the “whys” when it comes to the changes we need to make in our diets if we have been diagnosed with PCOS, Insulin Resistance, or both.

First, if someone has PCOS, it’s important to understand that the underlying problem is an issue with insulin resistance. When I was finally diagnosed with PCOS, after about 25 years of suffering with it, I wanted to learn as much as I could about the disorder.

I was seen by one of the top PCOS specialists at the time, an endocrinologist who not only specialized in PCOS, but did a lot of research and writing about the disorder. She was a horrible partner in health, speaking in a condescending way and insisting that only medication could keep the PCOS under control. I wasn’t seeing her for her partnership in my health, however (although it would have been nice and made things easier for me). I was specifically seeing her to be accurately diagnosed and to learn as much as I could from someone with direct experience and knowledge with the syndrome.

Here are the basics of what I learned. First, PCOS is a hormonal issue that results in the ovaries not functioning properly. The hormonal disruption always stems from an issue with insulin resistance, even if tests for insulin resistance state otherwise. Specialists working with PCOS know, through experience, that if they can force the body to work with insulin in a balanced way, the PCOS will disappear. Eliminate insulin issues and you eliminate PCOS.

In order for those with PCOS to lose weight, they need to actively work on keeping their insulin levels balanced in a healthy way. In the beginning of making dietary changes, it’s best to avoid high sugar meals. All sugar-rich foods should have some fat and protein included during ingestion, which will keep the sugar from spiking in the body.

Don’t be hard on yourself, however. If you make it too hard in the beginning (eliminating *all* sweets from your diet), it’s going to be harder to maintain the diet and lifestyle long-term. What you want is a lifetime fix for the problem, right? So, make the changes slowly and it will become a part of your lifestyle and you’ll reap the benefits for the rest of your life.

Begin by keeping an eye on how much sweet food you are consuming on a daily basis. Then, try to make sure you are adding protein and fat with your sweets and see how that makes you feel. For me, when I started adding protein with my sweets, I began slowly losing weight (even before I started the raw food diet). So, maybe go ahead and begin making those changes, first.

When you are comfortable with adding protein and fat to your sweet meals, begin cutting back on the amount of sweets you are consuming each day. While you are doing this, start adding more delicious raw food meals to your diet. Do it in a way that feels rewarding, rather than restrictive. Seek out some raw food recipes that look delicious, but are low in sugar, and think of those dishes as treats that you’ll reward yourself with as you cut back on the sweets that are keeping you from releasing the weight that you want to leave behind.

You’ll eventually want to stick with low-glycemic fruits until you’ve reached a healthy weight (like berries and cherries). Once you’ve reached a more ideal weight for your body, you can begin slowly increasing the amount of sweeter fruits to see how your body handles them. You’ll find that you are able to consume more of them once you are at a healthy weight and your body is better able to handle the insulin. It’s going to be something you’ll always want to keep an eye on, however, or else your weight may begin to increase again as your body struggles to maintain a balance.

What causes the insulin resistance in the first place, though? Some believe it is hereditary, others feel it is brought on by improper diet. It may not be easy to figure out what your particular cause of insulin resistance is, but at least you now have some guidelines to try out to see if they help you.

Let us know how you’re doing with the changes. If anyone else has PCOS or insulin resistance issues, please leave a comment now to let us know what you are doing with your own diet to eliminate the problem and release excess weight.

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Photo Credit: Photo by C.DelRio (Flickr, Creative Commons)

Here it is…the Queen of all Juices! It’s cooling, cleansing, light, easy, delicious, pretty, promotes weight loss, energizing, vibrant, and FUN!

Can one simple juice really be so wonderful for your body? Yes!! Following is the recipe, as well as some highlights about the ingredients and why it’s so great for your body.

Cooling and Cleansing Juice

4 medium apples
1 large lemon
6 medium stalks celery

Directions:
Use only organic produce. Wash apples, lemon, and celery. Cut into sizes that can fit into your juicer‘s opening. Juice all (including skins of apples and lemon) and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 438
Protein: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 119 grams
Lipids: 1 gram
Vitamins: 36% of daily needs
Minerals: 21% of daily needs

Lemons are mostly known for their Vitamin C levels, but there is so much more to this fruit than a vitamin. Lemons are known to aid the liver, bringing about cleansing action, aid digestion, support the immune system, inhibit cell division (thus limiting chances of cancer), eliminates many cancer-causing chemicals from the body, dissolves calcium deposits in the body, and aids in weight loss. Not bad for a bright, juicy, sweet-sour fruit!

Celery is incredibly healing for the body. Not only does it decrease the chances of cancer being developed, it’s a delicious way to reduce blood pressure. When juicing, try to use the leaves as well as the stalks, since the highest percentages of potassium, Vitamin C, and calcium are found in the leaves. Celery acts as a diuretic in the body, allowing excess fluid retention to be released. It also helps balance hormones within the body, which can be a welcome benefit for women suffering from PCOS and other menstrual disorders. Note: The hypoglycemic qualities in celery help balance out the sugar from the apples in this recipe. So, many who are sensitive to sugar may actually be able to tolerate this drink.

Just about everyone loves apples and knows the famous quote: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But did you ever wonder why an apple is considered so healthy for the body? In the skin of apples are compounds that protect against cancer. Not only that, apples are known to help prevent alzheimer’s disease, lower cholesterol, protect bones, reduce asthma problems, prevent breast, lung, colon, and liver cancer, and aids in weight loss. All of that from one simple fruit!

As with any food, moderation and variety is the key. Consuming this drink can be very cleansing for the body, flooding your system with much-needed vitamins and minerals. In order to meet all your body’s needs, however, you’ll need to consume a variety of fruits and vegetables. This juice is one I return to often, fully enjoying the light, vibrant feeling I experience after drinking it. It’s a great way to bring a boost of instant energy into your day and I recommend drinking it first thing in the morning for that reason!

What’s your favorite juice recipe? Share it in the comments, now–we’d love to hear from you!

[For those new to the Pure Jeevan family, you can search for "lyme disease" or "Nadi Balance" here on the blog if you want to learn more about Wendi's health challenges over the past few years.]

Sometimes returning to vibrant health isn’t a fast and easy event. A little over a year ago, I claimed I was cured of lyme disease. At that time I listed the remaining health challenges I had to overcome — all a result of the damage the lyme disease had done to my body. It’s hard to believe an entire year has gone by and I’m still not feeling vibrantly healthy or fully well. During this past year I’ve been brought to tears a few times, sometimes overcome with doubt and worry about whether the lyme disease was truly gone, or not.

The damage that happens in the body from lyme disease is incredibly complex. It’s a disease that is more difficult to cure than cancer. And, once the bacteria is fully gone from the body (which is not easy to prove), it has left behind so many imbalances it seems like a never-ending struggle to overcome. Nothing is impossible, however. Nothing. It’s those who give up, those who believe there is no cure or ability to heal, who live a life of debilitation and early death. If you are reading this and you have a health challenge, just remember that — and continue to learn about natural health and never give up. Giving up is just not an option for me — I plan on being fully vibrant and filled with health by the end of 2011. What we believe is what we bring about in life. And, yes, I do realize if that’s true then I brought the lyme disease into my life.

I know exactly when I allowed the disease to manifest. I had always had an inner desire to be cared for, almost like a baby. I’m certain it stemmed from some childhood need not being met, with the longing to be loved and nurtured still nagging at the core of my being. One day I actually voiced it out loud to Jim. I said I sometimes wished I could just be cared for, have someone feed me, give me a bath, hold me and cuddle me, etc. Well, that’s exactly what ended up coming to be in my life. Jim had to do all of that for me. On the deepest level, he was fulfilling that unmet basic desire/need I had been carrying with me since early childhood. A very positive look at all that transpired over the past two years, however, is that I have grown to love Jim even more. He was selfless, always present and lovingly caring for my needs.

At one point, during intense pain, I felt like there was something building up inside of me. I wasn’t sure if it was anger, frustration, terror, or something else. I found myself with a large drawing tablet and pastel chalks, tears streaming down my face because the pain of moving my arms even slightly was so severe I felt like I’d pass out. But I couldn’t stop. In about five minutes, or less, I was able to creatively show in a visual way what I was experiencing. I sensed Jim’s sorrow when he saw what I had created.

A few weeks later, I created another one. The second one has a softer feeling to it (even though the physical pain of creating it still had me in tears). I showed it to Jim and I wondered at the time if he knew that *he* was the one holding the baby (me) with red-hot, painful shoulders.

Right now, my biggest hurdle to complete health is releasing the comfort of having things done for me. It’s time my inner child realizes her need has been met and I’m more than capable of caring for myself. It’s very tempting to continue allowing Jim to do things for me, things that I can fully do myself, because there is comfort in being cared for. I’m a strong woman, though. I don’t need anyone to care for me, no matter how good it feels at times. My comfort, peace, and strength come from within — comfort, peace, and strength can never last if they’re manifested by relying on another human being. Not only are we not fully connected to and utilizing our inner strengths, but we are sapping another’s energy when they are doing for us what we can do for ourselves.

That’s essentially the point I’m at right now in my healing. It’s more of an emotional block than anything else. It’s all manifesting with physical symptoms, but at the root of each physical issue is the emotional desire to continue being cared for in many ways. Once I fully call on that inner strength, my physical recovery will quickly follow.

[For those wanting more details, I've shared a bit more below...but, as I stated above, these physical symptoms are coming from an emotional imbalance.]

My cure from lyme disease was brought about by some incredible cutting-edge science education, research, and experimentation. The healing I was gaining came from consistent testing and monitoring of my body, making adjustments in my diet to bring about a more balanced body. I was continually moving more in the direction of a balanced body, but then we went through a lot of life changes (which included a cross-country move) and the tools I was using to monitor my body were no longer accessible. This is what has slowed things down, but we are working on getting everything unpacked and set up so that I can continue rebalancing my body.

Looking over the last health update I shared with everyone, I can see that I’ve definitely been moving more in the direction of better health. For one thing, I can fully dress myself (I only need assistance with one very fitted winter coat). The range of motion in my shoulders has greatly improved (physical therapy helped a lot), and most people won’t notice the little bit of motion restriction (where in the beginning, everyone noticed since I wasn’t able to move my arms much at all).

My weight gain, brought about from the lyme disease creating Hoshimoto’s Disease (thyroid), and also reactivating the Epstein Barr virus, has actually increased a bit more. I’m now about 35 pounds heavier than I was before I became unwell. I do know I’ll get back to a healthy weight, and regain my energy, but sometimes I wonder if this weight gain has come so that I can learn even more about releasing excess weight in order to better inspire others.

Muscle has returned to my arms, so that’s a great thing! There is still some sagging skin from the initial muscle loss, but I know that will clear up once my body is rebalanced and fully healthy again. Something else that hasn’t been very firm over the past two years is my ability to remain positive. It seems I’ve become a tad pessimistic at times, and even taken on the attributes of a complainer a lot of the time. So, that’s a challenge I’m eager to overcome, as well!

The biggest physical challenge I’ve been dealing with is poor digestion. Raw foods were not digesting well at all, and in fact seemed like they were rotting in my stomach. So, I was eating some cooked vegan foods which felt good in my tummy. Every time I tried to eat only raw foods, the pain in my stomach returned, along with the rotting food sensation. Well, after a few months of having better digestion with cooked foods, I began to experience digestion problems even with the simple cooked foods. Adding raw foods just made things worse. So, I tried a bit of a water cleanse, followed by mega doses of food-derived vitamins, minerals, and protein. I’ve been regaining my energy, and much more. The disease left my body depleted of a lot of essential things, especially minerals. So, now I am rebuilding and feeling better every day.

Will I continue to consume cooked foods, however, once I’m healed? Not really (although I have promised my friend Mamta that I *will* eat her love-filled cooked Indian food when we are together again). It was remarkable to me that after so many years consuming solely 100% raw, organic, vegan foods that I didn’t become sick to my stomach when I ate cooked food (maybe because I was only consuming simple cooked veggies, though).

Once my body is able to digest raw foods again, I’ll go back to my pre-lyme diet of 100% organic raw foods. I’ll have the necessary tools and training, however, to keep an eye on my body’s balance so I can know if anything is getting out of balance (so I will never become susceptible to any diseases in the future). We’ll talk more about consuming cooked foods, or animal foods (I only consumed dairy as a means to heal), to rebalance the body in the coming months. Being dogmatic and sticking to a diet when it’s actually contributing to your ill health can be a big mistake. I had to get over my dogmatic belief that 100% raw, organic, vegan foods are the cure-all for everything. Although I do believe that a raw, vegan diet is ideal for me when I have a *fully healthy* body, I did find healing in consuming some dairy and cooked vegan meals.

Let’s take a quick look at a few dessert pictures, then compare and contrast, shall we? First up is a small slice of some normal pastry:

Looks sinful, right? It seems to proudly display its bready crust, its gooey chocolate center, some sort of butter-rich top layer coated with lovable little bits and bobs, and a liberal sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar to make the whole thing cute as a wintry scene from one of those holiday specials hosted by the claymation likeness of Burl Ives. I’m sure it’s delightfully rich, too.  A tad small, though, eh?  It’s probably all anyone can take of such decadence without worrying about clogged arteries or putting in extra time on the tread mill for the next three days.

Hmmmm…. Well, let’s take a look at another dessert:

We haven’t exactly focused on raw desserts here on the Pure Jeevan blog, so there wasn’t a huge backlog of pictures we’ve taken to feature here. But, Wendi’s raw cheese cake seems like a good example to discuss here. Now, admittedly, we’re not pro photographers, and didn’t stage that photo as well as a pro might have. But it still looks pretty good, we think.  If you didn’t know it was raw, what would your reaction be?

These days, with the talents we’ve seen in raw cuisine books and on many leading gourmet raw food sites, it’s arguable that we could have presented two nearly identical pictures — one cooked, one raw. That is to say, with some time and patience, many raw food chefs are now presenting desserts that absolutely rival (and sometimes even surpass) their traditionally cooked counterparts in terms of plate-appeal and the accompanying mouth-watering response from the viewer.

In fact, there’s just something special about being a raw foodist and seeing a perfectly executed, sumptuous raw dessert — something that goes beyond what your response to gourmet desserts was before you were raw. Beyond the eye-popping “I want that” reaction, there’s an undeniable newfound sense of awe in the appreciation of it. Do you feel that, too, when you see some amazing raw dessert presentation?

But, WHY are we so excited?  What’s the big deal? 

Well, for one, raw foods are GOOD for you! They contain no refined cane sugar, no artery-clogging dairy products, no dead, nutrient-barren calories. Raw foods are ALIVE, brimming with all of their original nutrients, enzymes, and life-force. And so you see there’s no guilt involved — even in the desserts. Yet, even for long-time raw foodies like us, it still sometimes feels somewhat indulgent to have that extra slice of pie or that second bowl of ice cream. Weird, isn’t it?

Well, we feel it’s high time we all get past this conditioning! To this end, Pure Jeevan invites you to follow our lead sometime very soon:  Instead of having a “normal” raw dinner, we want you to make yourself a huge raw dessert for dinner!  Anything you like — a raw cake, raw pie, raw cookies, raw ice cream. Just make sure it’s a dessert.  And no, smoothies don’t count. (We already have those for dinner quite often.) For this, we’re calling for something more … desserty.

Are you hesitant?  Are you new to raw, still losing weight, and thinking, “But, won’t I stop losing weight if I do this?”  Our answer:  Probably not!  At least, in our experience this was true. While we were in the process of watching our “cooked food bodies” melt away, we often had dinners consisting of nothing more than “raw fudge” or raw carob “milkshakes.” Still, the weight came off, the health conditions healed, the spirits lifted. Why?  Because we were (and still are) eating foods filled with life.

Here’s a link to get you started — this link goes into the desserts-only section of the All Raw Directory’s Raw Recipes category.  There are direct links there to well over 200 raw dessert recipes. In the comments section, let us know what you’re going to make yourself for a sweet dinner sometime soon!