RE: What Elchanan eats (by request) [s]

[Guest guest]

Bob Farrell [rjf2] wrote:

 

If you don't mind, how long have you been raw, and what does your

typical meal plan look like?

_____

Hi Bob,

 

Thanks so much for your kind comments and for your openness to try new

approaches. And in particular, I'm impressed that you've taken to using

Nutridiary, I notice from several of your posts that you are gaining

valuable knowledge and insight into your own eating patterns. Grateful!

 

I have been raw all my life. Except for a few (well, more than a few) pizza

burns along the way, to my knowledge I have never been cooked. :)

 

On a more serious note, Laurie Masters first introduced me to the idea of RF

in May 1997. I first began to take it somewhat seriously in August that

year, following some unexpectedly pleasant results. At the time there was

little support for such a thing, so Laurie and I created the South Bay

Living Food Community in our area (Silicon Valley/San Jose, California).

 

I've been writing a lot about what I eat in various posts. Basically,

bananas form the core of my diet, contributing roughly 1/2-2/3 of my total

caloric requirement almost every day. During the melon season, I often

reduce my banana intake considerably as my melon intake becomes large.

 

Dates typically contribute another 200+ calories. The remaining calories

come from any mix of other fruits, largely in season. But I am not tied to

the idea of " locally grown, in season. " I do generously support local

growers, but I also am willing to eat imported bananas (obviously) and other

products -- mangos, berries when out of season here, etc. I love berries,

they are the ONLY foods I will eat frozen, during the winter. It's not

natural and it's not optimal, but I love them, and this is one of my own

remaining personal compromises of sorts. However, interesting timing, I just

made a commitment to myself yesterday to begin shifting that during the

upcoming harvest.

 

We make our changes incrementally, yes?

 

By most people's standards, I eat lots of citrus, and we get it here nearly

year-round from our farmers or from not-too-far-away. Note that tangerines,

as a group, are superior to oranges as a group. Tangerines are the original

fruit occurring in Nature. All oranges are hybrids of some sort. Look at the

much larger number of seeds in tangerines vs. oranges. That suggests that

tangerines are much more likely to succeed as a species in Nature,

unsupported. Oranges have been hybridized with limited capacity for their

own reproduction.

 

I eat a couple of limes almost every day, in a smoothie.

 

I do sometimes make citrus juice for myself, I love it. Peel the fruit,

remove any seeds, drop it in the blender. Blending makes a frothy citrus

juice. And I have to admit, sometimes when I'm a bit lazy, I'll just use a

citrus juicer, another one of those personal compromises. Of course, I also

eat citrus " straight. "

 

I eat some apples and pears, peaches and nectarines and plums. Pears least

of all among these, just my personal taste. Sometimes in season, I'll go to

the farmers market and buy a bag of nectarines and eat the whole bag right

there, for breakfast. One food at a time, when you're hungry, until you're

full (at least of that food). More on mono-eating another time, if people

are interested.

 

And then there are veggie-fruits, some red/yellow/orange bell peppers (not

much, never green), zucchini, things like that. But I cannot say I eat these

with any consistency or frequency, more for variety in taste/experience.

 

Greens account for perhaps 30-60 calories per day (not many calories in

greens, but this amount represent a head of lettuce.) Increasingly, I

consume lettuce most days, though I do not believe that is necessary.

 

I eat an avocado every so often sometimes 2 in a week, more likely only one

or even none. I used to eat them much more, but as I've learned more, I've

reduced my intake considerably. Also, I've actually noticed my attraction

decline, avocados still taste good to me at first, but I tire of them

quickly. I attribute this to my sense of taste coming online better and

better with time.

 

Nuts are infrequent treats, seeds even more so. I used to love various nuts,

cashews uber alles. But to be honest, as my body has restored my taste buds

over time, I find that I really do not like most of the nuts anymore. Also,

I've eaten, side-by-side, truly raw (not dehydrated) nuts and the same

variety " raw " from the store. For EVERY variety with which I have

experimented in this manner, I have actually actively disliked the truly raw

nut. This is a great example showing how concentration of flavors can

seriously deceive our sensory system. (Consider all those dehydrated

crackers and such.) I've also taken true raw and " raw " nuts into classes

I've taught, and most participants have had the same or similar reaction.

Nuts and seeds are not really food for our species, at least not in anything

larger than tiny quantities. More on that in my upcoming post on teeth and

oral health.

 

There are other treats as well from time to time. For example, during the

corn harvest, I visit a nearby farm where they pick the corn and dump it

straight onto the sale table. We just stand there eating it, then pay

afterward for whatever we ate. I don't typically take much or any home, as

corn is not really part of my program, but I do love it straight from the

fields like that. Another personal compromise.

 

One other thing: often, when I go to some social occasion, I bring a dish or

two (or more) to share. That way, I KNOW there is food for me, and I take

personal responsibility; I do not ask others to be responsible for my

well-being. Similarly, I take food to restaurants. even if only salad

additives -- a dressing, an avocado, etc.

 

Hope this provides information you, Bob, and others find useful. Hopefully,

by sharing a few of my little compromises, you can see that, while I strive

for an excellent program, I am not a perfectionist. That would make myself

and others a bit crazy!!!

 

Best to all,

Elchanan

 

 

 

 

Bob or Farrell [rjf2]

Friday, March 18, 2005 1:06 AM

rawfood

[Raw Food] Re: Dates and Depth/Breadth of Knowledge

 

 

 

Hi Elchanan!

 

Thanks for all of your posts. I am always impressed by, and

appreciative of, both the depth and breadth of your knowledge.

 

If you don't mind, how long have you been raw, and what does your

typical meal plan look like?

 

Based upon some thoughts from you, I've recently begun to eat a *lot*

more bananas, with the predictable result: I'm feeling quite " full " ,

and still ending up a bit short on calories. (I've also started using

the Nutridiary.com to see where I am...it helps. I like the date

option, I'll be adding some more of those today, and then contacting

one of your recommended date sources for some better options.

 

 

Thanks much,

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thanks very much, Elchanan!

 

great post!

 

yes, I found it very helpful, and look forward to your future posts

on oral health and mono-eating (didn't know anyone really did

that...had seen it referenced in several books from Hippocrates

Health Institute...)

 

best regards,

 

Bob

[Guest guest]

Oh, mono-eating is the ultimate place to go in terms of digestive harmony,

nutrient absorption, level energy, self-awareness, and more. Later post

coming...

Elchanan

 

Bob Farrell [rjf2]

Friday, March 18, 2005 5:57 AM

rawfood

Re: [Raw Food] What Elchanan eats (by request)

 

 

 

Thanks very much, Elchanan!

 

great post!

 

yes, I found it very helpful, and look forward to your future posts

on oral health and mono-eating (didn't know anyone really did

that...had seen it referenced in several books from Hippocrates

Health Institute...)

 

best regards,

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I am interested in the mono eating too. I was eating an orange and a banana

every day for breakfast together. I guess this was wrong because I read

yesterday that the Orange needs 1 hour to digest so today I ate the Orange first

and in an hour I'll eat the Banana and maybe an hour or two after that I will

have a Banana Smoothie. Is that how you do it? Janeen