Miko

[Guest guest]

Hi Miko. I am new to raw foods. I have been reading your emails and appreciate

learning from them. So far I have been drinking fresh apple veggie blends and

eating salads.

 

I have noticed people talking about the recipies in raw books. What is the fuss

about? Is it because of the high amounts of nuts and sprouts? Are they causing

problems with health? I have not attempted to make any, but I would like to

know. My children would like to become raw with me, but they are looking for a

more traditional type of meals. They liked the idea of tacos in the raw book and

the chocolate chip cookies, or the coconut ice cream. I never have served lots

of different foods in the past just a simple one or two different items due to

time constraints. How do you feel about the recipies and is there something

that I should be concerned about? My kids are getting excited about trying out

the new recipies.

 

My children 10 and 13 are enjoying fresh, raw, home made apple juice and are

starting to add more fruit to their diets. They still eat mostly cooked foods,

but at least this is a start.

 

They don't like just eating cabbage, plain vegies, or salads. Do you have any

ideas? They are my main diet at the moment. I would love ideas. My goal is to

slowly introduce foods to them, in hopes that they will enjoy them and desire to

change. What do you think of the dehydrated sprouted breads and crackers? My

daughter needs lunches that kind of fit in with the other children at her

school.

 

I would appreciate any ideas as to how I should work with involving my children

in the changes. They are choosing to try to become raw because of my examples.

 

Myself, I need to loose weight. I have been mostly raw since the end of Dec.

No weight has come off. Any ideas? I don't eat much in nuts or fatty foods. I

do have a avocado on occasion, when I can find them. I am also having a

challenge digesting salads. Does anyone have any recommendations as to the best

enzymes. They exit looking like they went in. Lately, I am not digesting fat

either. It leaves an oil slick. Can I purchase extra amalyase enzymes?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

rawfood , cindy laughlin

<rosepetalsandcats> wrote:

> Hi Miko. I am new to raw foods.

 

Hello, Cindy! Welcome to raw foods.

 

> I have noticed people talking about the recipies in raw books.

What is the fuss about?

 

The basis for the fuss is indeed that recipes are not seen as the

natural diet by the body of any creature including humans.

Haphazard combinations of raw foods are not necessarily healthy, not

even healthier than one who consumes cooked food and is mindful of

fat and protein ratios. The liver does suffer from overwork whether

too much raw fat or cooked fat, for example, you will notice a

compromise in health.

 

You have the idea with your examples of recipes with a lot of nuts

or sprouts, which is to say that the body is working hard to digest

excess fat and protein. So, why are recipes encouraged? It is a

transition tool, which I, for one, used to travel the road to

freedom from the addictions of the cooked life.

 

There is something important that the raw diet is teaching us to

realize with regard to recipes: recipes are something we have to do

because we have become unable to enjoy the taste of our vegetables

in their unadorned state. When we have regained our ability to enjoy

them straight from the earth, our bodies will be able to stop us

from eating when we have had enough, and digest them easily. The

more naturally (greater quantities of one or a few types of food at

a time) you eat, the less your body will yearn for recipes. The more

balanced the food (whole only, no condiments, no numerous

combinations in the tummy all at once) going in, the less your body

works to digest foods and focuses more on cleaning the rest of your

system. This version of the raw diet (in a nutshell) will keep us

healthy and raw for years to come.

 

You can make up some form of recipe without jeopardizing your well

being, however. For it is not the recipe in itself but the numerous

ingredients, their ratios, and the extras (oils, vinegars, soy sauce

(nama shoyu, Braggs), powders (dried herbs like stevia or pepper)

that take us beyond what our bodies were meant to process.

 

Let the changes take place when the times are right for you. Start

where you are comfortable and convicted. As you run into problems,

you'll do the research and this will help you modify your diet if

you so choose.

 

Miko

PS – You had so many questions, I thought I'd just start here, and

get to the rest eventually. I intend to remember to do this.

[Guest guest]

rawfood , cindy laughlin

<rosepetalsandcats> wrote:

 

> Myself, I need to loose weight. I have been mostly raw since the

end of Dec. No weight has come off. Any ideas? I don't eat much

in nuts or fatty foods. I do have a avocado on occasion, when I can

find them. I am also having a challenge digesting salads. Does

anyone have any recommendations as to the best enzymes. They exit

looking like they went in. Lately, I am not digesting fat either.

It leaves an oil slick. Can I purchase extra amalyase enzymes

 

Hey, Cindy:

 

Read Patenaude, Gruben, Nison to name a few gurus out there. This is

my opinion: choose one and follow them. Consult with them. Pay for

it as you are guiding your daughters. There are differing points of

view here and I would not give us here the last word on any subject.

Give them the last word. I say this because I'd encourage you to

adjust your diet and/or lifestyle rather than to take enzymes, but

others in this forum may come back with another viewpoint. The above

named people (and I can give you more) do not believe you need to

take anything unless you have an obvious imbalance that affects your

existence. On a raw diet, enzymes will cause imbalances and call

upon your body's reserves to process them. They act as stimulants.

The best enzymes are already in your fruits and vegetables. Sleep

enough. Walk every day. Deep breathe. Nudge your colon with your

hands to increase digestive functions. Make sure you are going to

the bathroom properly/eliminating completely (know the

optimum " pooping " position). If you are not familiar with some of

this stuff, do some research. Read through the archives; plug in

your keywords and see what others know about them. There are more

ways to work for your health than to buy some extra thing that will

interfere with letting the raw food do its job. It's a gradual

process to get the insides working like they should.

 

Now, something practical: If you have trouble digesting salads, take

a look at what you are creating. Is it a gourmet salad? Keep it

simple. Try decreasing the number of ingredients until you feel like

you are tolerating them. Condiments? Decrease the volume of these.

Maybe decrease the entire volume of salad. Make your first course

several helpings of one type of fruit, then eat a smaller salad.

Also, if you are having any fruit at all AFTER the salad, there's

one reason for gastritis. Never fruit after salad. Continue to

troubleshoot, read and adjust. I would not assume you are eating

properly and you body just doesn't know how to accept the food. I

would trust your body is saying something needs to be adjusted about

food that is taken in, or that you need more physical activity,

sunlight, sleep, etc. Take on the challenge with each of these

problems that you want solved to find the most natural solution

possible. Enzymes are not a whole, fresh food solution, and merely

one choice among many, many others.

 

It is important that you are trying to address all these things. You

will get the answers. Keep probing us and, especially, the books.

 

Miko

[Guest guest]

> I am also having a challenge digesting

> salads.

 

I had this problem for a while. Eating too late in the day (after 6 for me),

not having an empty stomach, using oil in dressings, cucumber, overeating -

these all affect my digestion. I blended my salads for a while and drank

them slowly - this helped a lot. I still do occasionally.

 

> Lately, I am not

> digesting fat either. It leaves an oil slick.

 

I would reduce the quantity to just one portion a day (1oz nuts/seeds soaked

or a small avo) and eat it alone on an empty stomach or just with green

leaves, and don't mix different fats together.

 

Sara