Raw Food Diet or Vegan Diet... I need personal opinions?

Question

I'm doing a research paper and I need personal opinions

1. Do you think that it is healthy to have a vegan diet or a raw diet?

2. Do you currently eat this way?

3. If you don't eat this way now, would you consider it in the future?

4. If you would consider this way of eating, what would be the deciding factor, weight loss, medical problems, etc.

5. If you eat this way, do you feel that it is more difficult for you to find something to eat while dining out?

6. Do you feel that you are treated differently by friends, family and/or others?

7. If you do eat this way now, what was it that made you change to this way of eating?

8. If you live this lifestyle, do you also take the time to buy organic soaps, lotions, personal care products etc.

9. Do you think that this way of eating is dangerous and if so, why?

10. Have you treated a medical condition with this diet and if so, what condition?

That's all that I can think of for now. Thank you very much for answering

Answer 1

1. Do you think that it is healthy to have a vegan diet or a raw diet?

Yes, both. Meat and dairy are chock full of fat and (sometimes) chemicals.

2. Do you currently eat this way?

Vegan, yes. Raw, no.

3. If you don't eat this way now, would you consider it in the future?

I don't think I'd ever go raw. I love boldly flavored food, and raw veganism really isn't so.

4. If you would consider this way of eating, what would be the deciding factor, weight loss, medical problems, etc.

I was drawn to veganism through animal rights. I do believe it is healthier, but that's just an added incentive.

5. If you eat this way, do you feel that it is more difficult for you to find something to eat while dining out?

Sometimes, but I try to avoid places that are meat-specific. I also live in a rather liberal area where veganism isn't rare at all (Philadelphia), so I suspect I have an easier time than, say, those who live inthe rural midwest.

6. Do you feel that you are treated differently by friends, family and/or others?

Not particularly. They may not understand my lifestyle, but they respect it.

7. If you do eat this way now, what was it that made you change to this way of eating?

I went vegetarian when I was 13 because I felt it was hypocritical to call myself an animal lover and still eat meat. I went vegan this year because I felt I wasn't doing enough.

8. If you live this lifestyle, do you also take the time to buy organic soaps, lotions, personal care products etc.

Organic? No. Vegan? Yes.

9. Do you think that this way of eating is dangerous and if so, why?

Not if you're educated about it. I haven't had any sort of complications due to my veg*n diets, and I stopped eating meat young. There are those, however, who eat really unhealthily as veg*ns. They replace meat with carbs instead of vegetables and proteins.

10. Have you treated a medical condition with this diet and if so, what condition?

Nothing directly related to veg*nism.

Answer 2

1. Do you think that it is healthy to have a vegan diet or a raw diet?

~Yes I think that vegan and raw diets, if well-balanced, are perfectly healthy.

2. Do you currently eat this way?

~Yes. I am a vegan.

3. If you don't eat this way now, would you consider it in the future?

~Yes, I would consider eating raw in the future.

4. If you would consider this way of eating, what would be the deciding factor, weight loss, medical problems, etc.

~Just a change of pace and a natrual progression into would cause me to eat raw. I used to eat meat. I became a vegetarian, then a vegan...I also think that if our food doesn't get safer, this is a plausible option for me.

5. If you eat this way, do you feel that it is more difficult for you to find something to eat while dining out?

~Absolutely! I live in Ohio and there are few "commercial" choices for vegans (and vegetarians alike-depending on where you go).

6. Do you feel that you are treated differently by friends, family and/or others?

~Yes I do. My family thinks I'm crazy (still), but my friends are pretty cool about it. They are curious and love to try the food that I make.

7. If you do eat this way now, what was it that made you change to this way of eating?

~Health reasons and ethical reasons made me switch (I'm against animal cruelty).

8. If you live this lifestyle, do you also take the time to buy organic soaps, lotions, personal care products etc.

~Yes I do. It's worth the extra money knowing that I'm not spending money so someone can torture innocent animals so I can clean my house, wash my body or wear the "right shade" of makeup.

9. Do you think that this way of eating is dangerous and if so, why?

~I only think those who are uninformed are being dangerous with their diet. If someone only eats cheese pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, potato chips and Oreos and beleives they are being a good vegetarian, they are sadly mistaken. Lack of a balanced diet is very dangerous.

10. Have you treated a medical condition with this diet and if so, what condition?

~Actually, I think that ascribing to this eating style has enabled me to avoid severe sypmptoms as they relate to mensuration. I used to have horrible cramps, back pain, leg aches, heavy flow, headaches and a long period. (5-6 days) Since eliminating dairy (and all those hormones!), I know have a 2-3 day period. I almost never have cramps or any of the other issues. I still crave sweets, but I can deal with that!

That's all that I can think of for now. Thank you very much for answering

No problem. I wish you luck on your paper.

Answer 3

1. Yes, I think it is extremely healthy and have seen many people benefit from this (especially a raw foods diet).  A raw diet forces you to eat healthy, you can lbe a vegan and not eat healthy.  Dr. Oz (Oprah's Dr) does a show on Discovery Health and he had a patient go to a raw diet and she had tremendous benefits.  My mother-in-law has benefitted tremendously from this too.  carol Alt claims she and her sister have also expereinced numerous health benefits including the curing of allergies.

2. I have eaten this way in the past as a cleansing.  I do not solely eat raw foods but try to make sure that I include them in my regular diet.

3. Yes..I am pregnant and plan to go on a raw food plan after the baby is born (not permanently).

4. General health and weightloss is a factor too.

5. Yes, it can be tough to dine out.  There are always salads, but restaurants love to add things to salads that you don't expect (corn chips, bacon bits, etc).  You can pick them off but it is annoying.

6. No, I find most peopel are interested in hearing about this type of food and like to try certain things that I have prepared (out of curiousity).

7. I am not a vegan but was a vegetarian for 14 yrs (now eat fish & chicken).  I stopped eating meat because I did not like the idea I was eating animals.  I am getting to that point again and plan to go back to being a vegetarian (just easing into it since I am pregnant and trying not to freak out my system).  I eat raw to cleanse my system but could not maintain that lifestyle...it is very time consuming.  

8. Yes, I buy as many organic products as possible (across the board) and also try to avoid buying products that have been tested on animals.  

9. The only way it can be dangerous is if you don't do it properly. If you are a vegan and you only eat 1 type of food, then you are not having a well rounded diet.  Same with going raw.  If you only eat almonds, you are not getting all the nutrients you need.  But this is true of a typical diet as well.  You need variety and all the nutrients. I think you are more likely to get more nutrients from a raw or vegan diet because you are more likely to be a conscious eater and concerend about getting proper nutrition.

10. I have not done so personally, but many people do.

Answer 4

Raw diet.

No.

Yes.

All of the above.

Yes.

My family doesn't treat differently, but I don't have any friends and don't know others.

Yes.

Yes, It can be dangerous if you eat a diet primarily consisting of sugars and carbs, because these foods deplete your body of nutrients. But if you eat a balanced diet of fruits, seeds and vegetables opposed to the SAD (Standard American Diet) you are at less of a risk of getting nutrionally depleted or malnurished. You also have to know how to get your vitamin B12 if you don't consume animal products. As for protien, the average person gets too much protien and essentially their body becomes very acidic. With a vegan diet consisting of plenty of green leafy vegetables you get your protien and have a more alkalined body. Also, foods high in protien are goji berries, flax seeds, nutrional yeast, and raw cacao.

Answer 5

1. Yes. When palnned properly, it can be even healthier than an omnivore diet. As long as long incorperate plenty of fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and get all your neccesary vitamins and minerals, it's very healthy.

2. Yes I do (vegan anyways). Tomorrow I'm going to start eating raw Yay! :)

3. ... yes :D

4. Everything. It's more animal and environmentally friendly, and it's clears up your skin and helps you maintain a healthier weight.

5. Eating raw, yes, but vegan wouldn't be too hard. A lot of resteraunts are already making vegetarian menu sections, which usually also offer "accidentally" vegan options, and if all else fails, you can always get a salad.

6. I do feel that people are sometimes weary about vegan and especially raw diets because they don't believe you can get proper nutrition on them, but a lot of people I know do support me.

7. I saw all the "Meet Your Meat" and "Earthlings" videos, and those really made me change my way of eating.

8. Sometimes I'll buy "all natural" soaps and personal care products, but it can get expensive, so I only do it once in a while, and they'll all last for a couple of weeks anyways.

9. Nope. You've read my previous answers already :D

10. No medical conditions, but I have gotten healthier :)

Hopes these answered your questions :o)

Answer 6

I am not going to answer each question in order, but let me just say that I am 42 and have been a veg since age 19. That is 1985, when vegetarianism was not as hip as it is today! The health stores near me resembled the hippie stores that probably existed in the 60s and 70s and there were very few brands and so everything was ridiculously expensive. I remember saying that they should make a health store that was big enough so the prices could come down. Now, of course, we have Whole Foods.

I initially did it for moral/spiritual reasons. Now health is a big issue. Is it dangerous? NO!!!! What is dangerous is a dead-flesh diet. If we are what we eat, I don't want to be filled with the carcasses of poor creatures. My stomach is not a graveyard. The medical profession is now admitted the benefits of a plant-based diet. And now that corn has become so expensive, encouraging veganism is that much more important. It takes 7 POUNDS OF CORN to make only one pound of meat! That is such an  inefficient use of land...

Answer 7

1 no

2 no

3 no

4-8 n/a

9 no

10 no

Answer 8

1. yes

2. yes, vegan

3. n/a

4. n/a

5. yes

6. yes

7. health issues

8. yes

9. no

10. yes, it addressed dizzy spells, poor circulation, IBS, depression, anxiety, excessive weight, and poor skin.