Master Cleanse Forum - Master Cleanser Lemonade Diet

I can't find where the raw food section is, but I'm keen to know from those who live off a raw food only diet, do you still need to have portion control?

When I say that, I mean are the portions the same as they are cooked? So a small plate of vegies? Or now that you're only eating raw vegan, can you have MORE vegies than you'd previously have had, or more hummus and bigger plates of food?

I feel that I'm not full after a teeny little plate, which would have done me before with cooked food and fish. Is that because the food is lower in energy and I need more? Or am I gorging and do I need to slow up?

I've never eaten exclusively raw so I have no idea. I used to eat pretty well to suit my appetite, managing a good sized plate of food. I ate regularly and maintained my weight. It all seemed to be WHAT I ate, not how much. Is this true in this instance or do I have to eat like I did on a 1200 calorie a day diet??????

I hope not!

Deb
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Hi Deb,
I've been raw vegan for a year. When I first started I ate a tremendous amount of food. All raw, mostly gourmet to help with the transition. And I continued to lose weight! Gourmet meaning eating dehydrated crackers and foods that are similar in texture and consistency to "cooked" foods. Like lasagna, tacos...stuff like that. You will be very surprised to discover there is a huge variety and possibilites with raw food cuisine.

Now I eat more simply as my body has transitioned. A typical day for me is a green smoothie for breakfast, nuts as snacks, maybe an avocado on some days, a hearty salad for lunch, fruit, fruit smoothies, raw chocolate desserts, nut milks. I don't even eat all of that all of the time. Some days my body wants more food and some days not as much. It's similar to the feeling you have while on the MC when you transcend the hunger phase. You begin to get in greater touch with your body. Of course I do eat much more fruits and vegetables than I did on the standard american diet and as a vegetarian. It comes naturally and you don't feel like it's a sacrifice. It's really hard to explain, but your body appreciates it and your whole system changes.

The beauty of raw is I can actually eat whatever I want whenever I want. You become free...no longer having to worry about portion control...fats, carbs, proteins, etc. You are getting adequate nutrition if you study raw foods and listen to your body. I do take B12 supplements and occasionally add other supplements like spirulina powder (a great mineral sea food) to my green smoothies for example.

If you're serious about raw, I highly recommend you purchase Alissa Cohen's Living on Live Food as she does a great job of explaining all of this and there are several stories of real people from various walks of life who have become raw. She also has a gazillion easy to prepare recipes to get you started and gives a great overview of nutrition etc. The book will better answer your questions than I. It's too early in the morning and my brain is not on yet! lol.

Raw has changed my life. I look and feel great. The best thing about it is I've always loved food and I really enjoy my food now, without guilt. And it tastes great because it's whole food and your taste buds change as you heal.

Give it a try. Pace yourself. You won't be sorry.

Thank you SO much for your response. I appreciate it greatly.

I have been a bit down, mainly hormones and I think SOMETHING I'm eating is not supposed to be in my diet. I'm thinking maybe the nuts. I'm not sure I could eat a 100% raw diet and NOT eat nuts! I am wondering if I should try to get some allergy testing done, alternative style.

I have gained almost ALL the weight back, which is a bit saddening . I always feel my bowels are full and my stomach extended again. I lost my muscles with my second baby and have to have them restitched at some point, which I am waiting until after I have all my babies.

I think I have some serious refining to do with my raw diet. It's so much harder than I thought it would be .

But I'm so glad this thread is here. Thank you again.

Deb
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I meant to quote another message in this post.. so re-doing post! HA!

Fascinating!! I was on the fence about going all raw after MC, but you guys are def convincing me.. I need to get more info/books.

Then: I will prob still have to make cooked food for my husband.

Also.. if you are on a raw diet, do you ever eat any cooked food on special occasions, such as going out to dinner with friends at a restaurant, etc? What about when traveling?

I am pretty excited to find out more about going raw, and if it would be 'ok' to make exceptions occasionally?

I am currently refining and changing my raw plan. It's been nice, but not really working for me entirely! I say that just because I've now started gaining even MORE weight than I started at. I'm very good at adhereing to a diet I just think I need more protein.

I have been reading up on the Bloody Typing Diets. I am O which cuts out a heap of different veg, the nightshade family, various nuts, all grains (except ezekial bread), dairy and coconut. I have to be choosy about the beans and stay away from lentils. Sesame seeds are out but chick peas are still in..yay - hommus dip . The thing about the O type is that it requires plenty of fish and protein in the form of organic grass fed beef. I was eating plenty of good fish before the fast, after I'd had my son, and I'd lost 30kilo that way. Just good fish, olive oil, veg and fruit. I was never healthier. But, I think this raw expedition has taught me that I need to have less cooked veg and substitute most of my veg with raw. It's been really nice learning new ways to eat and I must say, I only crave raw food now.

I have been having one meal a day in the form of juice. Some days it's two meals. Morning is always fruit and dinner now I am thinking I will alternate between a raw vegan meal and a cooked pescatarian one. I havn't yet started this, but did instead cook some veg for myself the past two nights. I do find the veg lacking in zing when it's cooked, so am drawn to the raw regardless.

So, I am planning to do 85% raw and 15% cooked and fish. Sound crazy? I dont' know. I do know that this way has not been what my body exactly wants. Perhaps the blood type stuff is correct. I have to give it a shot. I don't want for red meat, but I do enjoy fish.

Thanks for the encouragement guys.
Deb
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I personally didn't find the blood type diet to have any merit. It made sense when I first read it, but it wasn't true for me. I would think by now we have mixed blood, I mean our ancestors...some were 0's some are A;s?

Hi sandsouc--on the blood type, the type O's are the first and original blood type. When humans started eating grains the type A's developed. When people started eating grains is when most of the diseases started, heart trouble, overwieght, diabetes, etc. Before grains people ate what ever plants they could find, until they could kill something for meat. If you do a search for cave man diet, you will find many good web sites that will explain how our ancestors really ate. "Neanderthin" is a very good book on this subject. Have a good one---Rev John

Hi Taku John, I read the book, and it made sense, but I am not allergic or weakened by what the book says I ought to be. My accupunturist said he found the same things. He can tell even more than I can, he's feeling the pulse and life force. Being around quite a few people who have tried that diet, they say the same thing. Sounds good, but in theory, it didn't apply when they ate according to the theory.

I did think the personalities for the different types seemed to run true, sort of. Some of the things that were written, like exposure of blood type 0 not being ready for small pox, well...it could just be that they were not, and its not the blood type per say.
Or maybe it used to be true, but now our grandparents are mixed so we are mixed. That is what I was thinking.

The blood type diet is good for helping to determine food sensitivities (that's why it's good to have the handbook, see below). Other than that, his science is flawed. Note on that: It is quite widely accepted that early humans were foragers and gatherers who ate a plant-based diet. The original diet is a plant-based diet. This is as per Dr. Gabriel Cousens, raw foodist and at 60-something-years-old, very healthy - he says he can do something like 10 times as many push-ups now as he could when he was a college football athlete. He also has been recognized by the medical community for his breakthrough work curing diabetes with an organic raw, vegan diet.

Dr. Cousens also runs the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona. I heard him talk about this on the Raw Mom Summit (www.rawmomsummit.com, www.rawmom.com/blog, www.therawdivas.com) - one of the best [online] events I have ever attended, I must say.

Don't cut out plenty of healthy foods if you still feel fine/have no adverse feelings or reactions to eating them(!). The book Thrive explains the idea of food sensitivities (difference between sensitivity and an allergy, etc.) much better, though.

I'm type O and now vegan - I cut out wild fish recently and I feel great. But, I still have the little blood type diet handbook (one of the small books most bookstores also carry) listing recommendations for type O, and if I suspect a food sensitivity or notice another food affecting me, I look it up in the handbook just to see what might be said about it (beneficial, neutral, avoid).

And there are plenty of other type O vegans out there - check this out:

http://www.vegfamily.com/forums/archive ... -1322.html

If you're wondering about protein in a vegan diet, check out www.veganbodybuilding.com and click "profiles."

For more info on getting your protein, see here:

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

I think you should at least try a vegan diet, and a high-raw to all-raw diet, and see how you feel.

And for more info on the raw diet, here you go! Check out this awesome page:

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/

The articles are quick reads, not too complicated, not too long, and most of them are pretty good.

The Why Switch article (http://www.living-foods.com/articles/whyswitch.html) and the Ten Advantages article (http://www.living-foods.com/articles/tenadvantages.html) is really good. The Q&A articles (like the ones with Brian Clement, the ones with the authors of Nature's First Law, etc.) are awesome. The scientific literature article is nice if you're interested in that, and the in-a-row "Why Raw?" pieces are also pretty good.

For great recipes, Ani Phyo's Raw Food Cookbook is awesome. The Students Go Vegan cookbook has good vegan cooked recipes (Italian-flavored tempeh nuggets, yum!), as does Vegan with a Vengeance. There are also plenty of blogs out there with this kind of info. For example - alert, long long list that could lead to hours of pleasant time at the computer - The blog Cupcake Kitteh (http://cupcakekitteh.blogspot.com/) lists tons of other blogs for vegan and raw recipes. See her lists, "blogs I like" (as well as "other sites I like"), on the right side of that blog site.

AND for one of THE BEST (AND FREE) resources for RAW FOOD RECIPES AND TIPS, plus FAQs, interviews, etc., etc., I highly recommend THE RENEGADE HEALTH SHOW!

www.renegadehealth.com/blog/

Great recipe videos, fun positive energy (and lots of it!), great comments on each post, the videos are quick and informative - just a wonderful site and resource from Kevin and Annmarie Gianni, the show hosts. I'm getting into the habit of checking it very regularly, even daily, now.

I tend to be quite resourceful , and I've been posting these same resources in other forum threads (I wish I could create stickies!), so if you see me posting them again (and perhaps even using the same language), don't be surprised . I just love to share when I find great things, and spread the wealth of health.

Glad to be able to direct you to some valuable resources. Positive energy, health, and happiness to you.