Community: Forum: Vegetarian Discussion
Vegan / Vegetarian Discussion - All Things Veg*n Forum
Hi,
I have a "few" questions and I'm curious about your opinion and/or experience.
My wife and I are approx 85% raw vegans. We mostly eat:
1) Raw fruits or freshly made fruit juices
2) Salads (freshly made or pre-packed from supermarket)
3) Raw nuts (love them )
4) Below 38C/100F-dehydrated home made cakes and biscuits
5) Home made fruit ice creams
6) Nakd bars which are although processed food, most of them are said to be raw (see www.naturalbalancefoods.co.uk/nakd/ )
7) We also consume Sunwarrior ( https://www.sunwarrior.com ) raw vegan rice protein extract (we often do huge cardio workouts, I do lots of cycling etc. so it is probably useful for us to have a bit of extra protein)
Three questions regarding the above:
- Regarding point 5). Do you consider deep-frozen fruits (that are frozen on the field where they harvest them within 2-3 hours of harvesting) to be raw? We freeze or banana ourselves for the ice cream, but we often buy frozen strawberry, blueberry etc from the local supermarket.
- Regarding points 6) and 7). Do you consider these kind of processed, but never cooked/baked/boiled/etc products to be raw?
- I did not put it down as a separate point, but we also sometimes prepare food with nutritional yeast. Do you consider that to be raw?
Occasionally (once or twice a week) we also eat non-raw vegan food (I estimate these to make up approx 15% of all of our food intake) such as:
8) Rice or potato-based warm dishes
9) Steamed food such as steamed cauliflower of corn on the cob
10) Vegan pasta-based warm dishes
11) Soya/almond/rice milk, soya cheese
12) Chickpeas hummus
13) Roasted nuts
14) Non-raw salad dressings
15) Vegan bread or "taco-bread"
16) (Quite rarely) Pre-made vegan soups that you can buy in the supermarket
In the last 6 months we experimented with raw vegan diet twice, each time for approx 3 weeks. After 3 weeks or so we both felt some (gradually intensifying) craving for hot/spicy/cooked-or-baked-or-steamed food so we gave up both times and reverted to "regular vegan" diet. During those weeks or raw vegan diet, after approx 10 or so days I felt a bit more energy, although it wasn't a huge difference compared to "regular vegan diet". My wife didn't really feel any difference. We are pondering on soon going 100% raw vegan again, this time for a longer period of time. But first we are curious about a few things. I read many articles which state that raw vegan diet is so good for your body and loads of articles telling about people's experience, especially that they felt a huge increase in energy, that they felt more "spiritual" etc. Well, I would be curious about YOUR opinion and experience before going raw-vegan for months. So if you were (or are) a 100% raw vegan for longer periods of times (at least for a few months), here are some questions please:
- Did you feel any increased energy level? How soon after changing to raw vegan did you feel it?
- Did you sleep more or less as a raw vegan compared to "regular vegan"?
- Did you notice anything like "it's easier to focus on something" or "meditation is easier for me now" etc?
- Did you perform better or worse physically (e.g. when you jog/cycle/swim/play tennis, squash or similar/do gym exercises stb.)?
- Some say they "just could not eat enough" and "lost weight although did not want that" and "were constantly hungry". Anything like that?
- Anything other, any difference, that you experienced?
- How much do you spend on your raw vegan diet? (Based on the 6 weeks experience it costed us approx £300 ($500 or €360) per person per month, approx 10% more than our regular vegan food spending which is approx £270 ($450 or €330) per person per month. (We buy organic or "fairtrade" whatever/whenever we can.))
- Plus: do you think that we gave up too soon before (2x 3 weeks) and that's why we didn't feel significantly more energised?
Huh, lots of questions Any opinion, experience, idea, info, advice is welcome. Thank you very much in advance!!
I have a "few" questions and I'm curious about your opinion and/or experience.
My wife and I are approx 85% raw vegans. We mostly eat:
1) Raw fruits or freshly made fruit juices
2) Salads (freshly made or pre-packed from supermarket)
3) Raw nuts (love them )
4) Below 38C/100F-dehydrated home made cakes and biscuits
5) Home made fruit ice creams
6) Nakd bars which are although processed food, most of them are said to be raw (see www.naturalbalancefoods.co.uk/nakd/ )
7) We also consume Sunwarrior ( https://www.sunwarrior.com ) raw vegan rice protein extract (we often do huge cardio workouts, I do lots of cycling etc. so it is probably useful for us to have a bit of extra protein)
Three questions regarding the above:
- Regarding point 5). Do you consider deep-frozen fruits (that are frozen on the field where they harvest them within 2-3 hours of harvesting) to be raw? We freeze or banana ourselves for the ice cream, but we often buy frozen strawberry, blueberry etc from the local supermarket.
- Regarding points 6) and 7). Do you consider these kind of processed, but never cooked/baked/boiled/etc products to be raw?
- I did not put it down as a separate point, but we also sometimes prepare food with nutritional yeast. Do you consider that to be raw?
Occasionally (once or twice a week) we also eat non-raw vegan food (I estimate these to make up approx 15% of all of our food intake) such as:
8) Rice or potato-based warm dishes
9) Steamed food such as steamed cauliflower of corn on the cob
10) Vegan pasta-based warm dishes
11) Soya/almond/rice milk, soya cheese
12) Chickpeas hummus
13) Roasted nuts
14) Non-raw salad dressings
15) Vegan bread or "taco-bread"
16) (Quite rarely) Pre-made vegan soups that you can buy in the supermarket
In the last 6 months we experimented with raw vegan diet twice, each time for approx 3 weeks. After 3 weeks or so we both felt some (gradually intensifying) craving for hot/spicy/cooked-or-baked-or-steamed food so we gave up both times and reverted to "regular vegan" diet. During those weeks or raw vegan diet, after approx 10 or so days I felt a bit more energy, although it wasn't a huge difference compared to "regular vegan diet". My wife didn't really feel any difference. We are pondering on soon going 100% raw vegan again, this time for a longer period of time. But first we are curious about a few things. I read many articles which state that raw vegan diet is so good for your body and loads of articles telling about people's experience, especially that they felt a huge increase in energy, that they felt more "spiritual" etc. Well, I would be curious about YOUR opinion and experience before going raw-vegan for months. So if you were (or are) a 100% raw vegan for longer periods of times (at least for a few months), here are some questions please:
- Did you feel any increased energy level? How soon after changing to raw vegan did you feel it?
- Did you sleep more or less as a raw vegan compared to "regular vegan"?
- Did you notice anything like "it's easier to focus on something" or "meditation is easier for me now" etc?
- Did you perform better or worse physically (e.g. when you jog/cycle/swim/play tennis, squash or similar/do gym exercises stb.)?
- Some say they "just could not eat enough" and "lost weight although did not want that" and "were constantly hungry". Anything like that?
- Anything other, any difference, that you experienced?
- How much do you spend on your raw vegan diet? (Based on the 6 weeks experience it costed us approx £300 ($500 or €360) per person per month, approx 10% more than our regular vegan food spending which is approx £270 ($450 or €330) per person per month. (We buy organic or "fairtrade" whatever/whenever we can.))
- Plus: do you think that we gave up too soon before (2x 3 weeks) and that's why we didn't feel significantly more energised?
Huh, lots of questions Any opinion, experience, idea, info, advice is welcome. Thank you very much in advance!!
Responses (7)
-
Report Abuse
Posted by savetheanimals at 02/23/14 02:25:43
I consider frozen fruits and processed food that hasn't been heated above the temperature raw people don't want it above to be raw. I don't know if nutritional yeast is raw. I am not 100% on what I told you and I am not raw myself. I would do research on what is raw and what isn't if I were you. Also your wife and you can't be 85% raw just like you can't be 85% vegan. You are either vegan or you aren't. About 85% of your food is raw. It is good that you have questions. It shows your critically thinking. Regardless of whether you keep your vegan lifestyle or go on to a raw vegan lifestyle know that as a vegan your helping the animals.
-
Report Abuse
Posted by IWantSunshine at 02/23/14 06:20:27
Thank you. Yes, we think the same about the frozen / processed foods that were not heated up.
We are 100% vegans, eat exclusively vegan food, of which approx 85% is raw.
-
Report Abuse
Posted by ahimsa32fa at 02/23/14 07:14:53
Perhaps no need to take a "protein extract" to get enough protein.
Tempeh (local, organic) is my primary source of protein, plus many of the hundreds of other varieties of beans.
-
Report Abuse
Posted by IWantSunshine at 02/23/14 09:09:00
Yes, tempeh is good. You are lucky you have access to local, organic tempeh.
-
Report Abuse
Posted by fruitnotflesh at 02/24/14 19:01:51
Hi I made an account just to comment on this
I've been doing "The 80/10/10 Lifestyle" (high carb raw vegan) since last july. I have also not been 100% raw, but I have still experienced amazing benefits, although, admittedly, the benefits are greatly multiplied by being 100% raw. Upon starting out I was 100% raw for about 58 out of 60 days and felt amazing. I lost a lot of weight in the beginning because it takes a few weeks for one's stomach to expand to fit in enough calories. However, my calorie consumption has been at 3,000 plus since then and I have not gained or lost any more weight.
I want to disagree with SaveTheAnimals' comment that you cannot be 85% raw, as you cannot be 85% vegan. The more fruit meals you eat, the better you will feel. The longer you remain eating only fruit, the better you will feel. If you eat one or two cooked meals a week, you are doing good for yourself, although you probably will not get the mental benefits of being 100% raw. I eat raw on and off; right now I've been 100% raw for about 10 days. It only takes me two days of 100% raw eating to immediately feel better (compared to eating 1 high-carb, low-sodium, vegan, cooked meal per day, in the evenings, after fruit monomeals for breakfast and lunch). I am not a regular meditator but I play music (upright string bass), and I feel that I am particularly engaged and focused on the bass after a few days of raw eating. I attribute this to chemicals in fruit (MAO inhibitors, among others) that are said to promote right-hemisphere brain activity. I am not a psychonaut or a 'hippie' (I consider myself pretty cynical, actually), but after reading "Left in the Dark" I am very convinced of the role fruit plays in brain activity.
Not sure what raw lifestyle you are on but don't count on feeling better unless you are eating primarily fruit, in large monomeals, with few or no nuts late in the day, plus a large low-fat low-sodium salad at night. Read "The 80/10/10 Diet" if you haven't already. I spend quite a bit on fruit, but I have cut out drinking and smoking. The most I spend on groceries is probably $600 a month, mostly organic, none of it wholesale, eating 3,000+ calories a day. Also, my fitness on 100% raw (versus 90% raw) is extraordinary, although even eating 1 high-carb cooked vegan meal per day helped my fitness a lot.
-
Report Abuse
Posted by fruitnotflesh at 02/24/14 19:04:21
also, you definitely do not need the protein supplement, raw or not, it will just puff you up/make you bloated
-
Report Abuse
Posted by IWantSunshine at 02/25/14 05:10:55
fruitnotfles: Thank you very much for registering, answering many of my questions and sharing your experience! Yes, we both will go 100% raw very soon! Thank you
You need to be logged in or registered to post.