Raw food diet questions?

Question

I've been eating a raw food diet for 2 of my 3 meals a day recently, without even realizing it! I've noticed how much better I feel and so have done some research to find out about all the benefits of Raw food.

I won't be switching over completely but I am interested in eating more raw food for the health benefits so I have a few questions...

1) Are sprouters essential? What are the benefits over just sewing the seeds and growing them normally?

2) Do dehydrators really save energy? I know they don't use as much power but you need to leave them on for a much longer time.

3) Is there anything else I need to know that would be useful.

Thanks.

Answer 1

i dont know if your wanting to eat sprouters or grow them. lol

sprouted seeds are seeds that are already growing, eliminating the initial period of if the seed will grow or not, and are more expensive then seeds.

what i do is get seeds, and buy 100 party disposable cups, fill them with soil and plant a few seeds in each, when the plants are a few inches big, put them outside!!

this is a fantastic site and is real cheap and sells almost every seed imaginable, i have bought so much off them i think there a little p1ssed at makeing up my orders. lol

http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/

you will have to water the plants each day, dehidraters (if i understand what you mean right) can be mixed in the soil so the soil dost dry out fast, but is absorbed my somethink and slowly released.

somethink like this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Water-Retaining-Ge...

only put a little!!

if you put the plants into the cups, dont make holes in the bottom, and just use a little water, dont get the clear plastic ones as moss tends to grow in the walls, and siffocates the plant. and use cling film on top of them.

Answer 2

A couple of years ago the Food Programme on Radio 4 did a whole episode on the raw food diet. I can't remember very much about it, aside from saying that dehydrators were quite expensive.

You don't need a spouter - you can sprout them in a normal glass jar, but sprouters are bit less faffy.

If you want a recommendation, try raw cocoa nibs. I'm a total chocoholic and a teaspoon full of these satisifes my craving. They are especially nice with dried fruit or nuts.

Answer 3

A raw food vegan diet may be defined in various ways, but usually entails at least 80% by weight being raw plants. Many people report feeling healthier and more energetic on adopting such diets, but there are too few long-term raw food vegans for direct evaluation of the success of raw vegan diets versus other diets. We can, however, evaluate such diets against known human nutritional requirements to gain a better understanding of the ways in which appropriate raw vegan diets could benefit health.

Raw vegan diets comprise three key food groups: sweet fruit, high-fat plants and green leafy vegetables. Raw food authorities differ in the proportions recommended, some suggesting that 2% of calories from green leafy vegetables (about 300 g of lettuce per day) is sufficient while others recommend that about 30% of calories should come from green vegetables. Similarly, recommendations on high fat foods such as avocados, olives, nuts, seeds and cold-pressed oils range from a few percent to about 40% of calories. The Hallelujah diet founded by George Malkmus puts particular emphasis on carrot juice and barley grass, which contribute about 15% of calories.

Getting 30% of calories from green vegetables is probably unrealistic for most people, even with the use of blended salads and juices. For instance, 900 g of lettuce plus 450 g of kale provides just 300 kcal or about 15% of calories. Fortunately, however, such high intakes are unnecessary for nutritional adequacy. Green leafy vegetables and broccoli contain higher levels of zinc, calcium and protein than fruit and are therefore an important part of raw diets, but about 500 g per day of green vegetables, including a mixture of lettuces, broccoli and darker leaves such as kale and spinach, is sufficient to bring mineral and protein intakes into line with general recommendations. Such vegetables also provide vitamin K, which promotes healthy bones. Other raw vegetables can be useful: for instance, carrots are a good source of calcium and peas a good source of zinc and protein.

The best balance between sweet fruit and fatty foods is probably a matter of individual constitution. Some people experience dental problems with a very high fruit intake. This can be a particular problem for young children. Many people will struggle to maintain weight if they do not include significant amounts of high fat foods. More than 10% of calories as polyunsaturated fat is not recommended. Olives, avocados, almonds, hazelnuts and macadamias are all dominated by monounsaturated fats, which are the safest fats to consume in large quantities. Obtaining up to 40% of calories from these foods according to individual energy needs should be perfectly healthful. It is also important to include a good source of omega-3 fats such as crushed flax seed or its oil. Selenium can be low if the food is grown in selenium deficient soil, so a Brazil nut a day provides a useful insurance policy.

In selecting fruits, there is no need to rely on unusual or exotic items. Bananas are a good energy food, being relatively low in fibre and high in potassium. Oranges are rich in calcium, folate, potassium and vitamin C. The high potassium and low sodium content of raw vegan diets reduces the need for calcium by reducing calcium losses and can be expected to reduce blood pressure and risk of stroke.

The various raw vegan dietary schools differ in their approach to B12. Some recommend that B12 supplements should not be taken unless clear deficiency symptoms occur. David Wolfe (Nature's First Law) recommends seven different potential B12 sources, including unwashed or wild plants, nori, spirulina, fermented foods or a probiotic, with a B12 supplement as an alternative if these are not available. George Malkmus has recommended regular use of a B12 supplement since a study of Hallelujah dieters showed signs of inadequate B12 in most of them and showed that a B12 supplement or fortified nutritional yeast corrected this reliably while probiotics did not.

The confusion in this area arises from a conceptual error. Many raw food or natural hygiene advocates believe that our evolutionary diet and that of our great ape relatives did not include an external source of B12 and then conclude that humans shouldn't need such a source. In fact, all the other great apes - even the gorillas - consume insects incidentally along with their normal diet of fruits, shoots, leaves and nuts. Chimpanzees show particular enthusiasm for collecting and eating termites, which have high measured levels of B12. After capture, the blood B12 levels of most primates drops rapidly when they are fed on a hygienically grown and prepared plant-based diet. It is therefore not surprising that humans also need an external source of B12.

An example 2000 kcal. raw diet for one day.

Fruit: 100g red peppers, 200g tomatoes, 300g oranges, 200g apples, 500g bananas, 100g pears, 50g peaches, 50g raspberries, 200g kiwi fruit, 100g strawberries, 50g mangos.

Green leafy vegetables and broccoli: 200g lettuce, 100g kale, 100g spinach, 100g broccoli.

High-fat foods: 200g avocado, 30g almonds, 20g hazelnuts, 10g flaxseed, 3g Brazil nuts

Other: 100g carrots, 100g peas.

This provides 700 mg calcium, 700g magnesium, 9mg zinc, 50 g protein, 100µg selenium, 3 g omega-3 fatty acids, 8,000mg potassium, 1100µg folate, 2 mg vitamin B1, 2.4mg B2, 6mg B6, 1100mg vitamin C, 30mg vitamin E, 6000µg of vitamin A (from carotenoids) and about 1000µg vitamin K. It may be too high (80g) in fibre for some people, particularly the very old or the very young, and it contains arguably too little sodium (270mg). The iodine content may also be low, depending on the soil where the produce is grown.

The balance of fatty acids is excellent. The diet contains no cholesterol or trans-fats and just 4% of calories as saturated fat while providing 5% omega-6, 1.5% omega-3 and 18% monounsaturated fat. Intakes of carotenoids, vitamin C, folate, vitamin K, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium and potassium are all much higher than in conventional diets and can be expected to promote health. Zinc and protein intakes are adequate. The calcium content has been adjusted for the low availability of calcium from some of the foods, particularly spinach, and is probably adequate. Vitamin B12 and vitamin D must be addressed separately.

Hope this helps and good luck.