Any raw fooders out there? - Page 6

[*green*faery*]

I have a recipe for raw ranch, but I have to find it, most of my books are packed away right now while we rearrange the house. It was a great recipe though, I've made it a few time. I will look for it this week.

3littlesweeties~ I think children do go through some detox, depending on how they ate before. It's frustrating when you keep hearing Yuck, my nieces would always say that even before they tried new things Yuck!

I ate really good today. I made almond milk and it turned out so yummy. It's pretty simple, if you haven't tried it before, this is what I did...

Rinse & soak 1c. almonds overnight (or for at least 8 hours- up to 48h)
throw them in a blender with 3 cups of water
blend for a few minutes
add about 1 tsp of vanilla extract
add agave necter, dates, or honey to taste
Then strain through strainer of cheese cloth

It can store in the fridge for 2-3 days

I got raw agave necter at the health food market. I like using it better then honey because it has a less distinct flavor. I love it!

Ok, this is what I had today~

A.M.~a banana
1c. almond milk
smoothie (almond milk, banana, cherries, peaches)
2 green figs
Snack~1c. almond milk
few pecans
Lara bar
Mid day~Spicy Sunflower seed pate
Veggies (cucumbers, carrots, celery, bell peppers, kale)
P.M.~Raw Fruit Pie (from recipe above)
with nectarines, peaches, and cherries


I feel pretty good today & didn't have a huge appetite, so that helped. Hope you mamas have a beautiful night!

*erin*
#1 edd 10/29/05

[3littlesweeties]

Shaper, the naturepathic dr. said that she shouldn't have fruit till it get's better because the sugars feed the bad bacteria. I guess that makes sense..tho I wish it didn't cause it would make my life easier!!!

[quidditchmom]

Ok, so I called the natural food store yesterday morning to see what time they closed and the phone message said 7:30. So my boyfriend was able to come home from work a bit early, my sister came over to sit with the kids (they don't all fit in his car)and I was so excited. We got to the store at 7 and...they had just closed : . I'd been reading some more on SAD v. Raw and REALLY wanted to get started. I had to settle for shopping a Super Walmart instead. Not a whole lot of organic, but everything's going to get washed super well and peeled before eaten. We loaded up the cart primarily with fruits and veggetables and a few neccessities like shampoo and laundry stuff. And one can of pringles cause I need the can for a project. When we got to the checkout the cashier said, "You guys eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, don't you?" :LOL

This morning I made some pudding for my kids for breakfast. They were so excited and they loved it. They ate until they were stuffed We're going to do a fruit platter with dips for lunch and a MYO salad night. They won't be happy about the salad, but they'll eat it. I'm hoping to make it interesting enough so that they aren't too unhappy about it. I bought a bunch of nuts as well and put them on the table for them to snack on.

I have a new concern though. Last night I trying to find some good dips for fruits and veggies (found them before, but no luck last night. Anyone know of some the kids might like?) and came across something that said that raw fooders have trouble with the enamel on their teeth. This guy said that many were mineral deficient and that caused the problem with the enamel and then the sugary fruit ate away at your teeth or something. He recommended hardly any fruit and lots and lots of dark green veggies as well as supplements. Anyone else come across this? Just got me a little concerned.

I feel really silly asking this, but are there any fruits and veggies that cannot be eaten raw? I heard all the time I was growing up that there were a bunch of them. I was also wondering if tea was raw. Like, can I make sun tea out of green tea bags?

BTW, I was talking to my boyfriend about everything I was learning and he's decided to try 100% raw. I'm nervous about how it's going to go because my brother and sister are going to be visiting for 3 weeks soon, and I know either we'll be invited to someone's house for dinner or we'll have to host something. But so far today it's going great

Diana

[lynsage]

while we're on the subject of what is and isn't raw, does anybody know if tamarind paste is raw? like the kind that comes in a big block and still has seeds in it? i can't always get the fresh pods at my health food store so i bought a block of tamarind at the asian market to make tamarind-ade. it tastes the same as the fresh pods...does anyone know if they use heat processing or anything like that to make the blocks?

diana, i haven't heard of any fruit or veggie that can't be eaten raw. i know some people don't do raw potatoes, but i like them!

[lynsage]

oh, i forgot about the coconuts! 3littlesweeties, i have no idea how to get a good one. i just use coco-reiki and try to pick one with good vibes

[*green*faery*]

quidditchmom~
What kind of pudding did you make? Sounds yummy! As for the fruit dip, I like to make some kind of nut butter and thin it out a little with water and add honey or agave to sweeten it. For veggies I usually make nut/seed pate, here is a link that has some dressing and dip recipes:
http://www.rawfoods.com/recipes/
That website (If you haven't scene it before) has lots of good info.
As for the sun tea, some "hard core" raw foodist would say no, but I love sun tea, or even hot tea when its cold and I don't feel any negative effects. Its nice to drink something besides water or juice.
I don't know a lot about the teeth thing, but Ive read about it a little. I know in the beginning some raw foodist though they didn't have to brush there teeth, but realizes that the fruit sugars still need to be brushed off. It is very important to eat enough greens for many reasons, and if you were to eat raw foods for a long time, its important to balance you out. I recently attended a lecture by Victoria Boutenko, heres a good link that talks a little about it~
http://www.rawfamily.com/articles.html

That's great that your boyfriend wants to try it too, makes things a little easier!

Oh, and about the coconuts, it can be tricky The best thing is to look for one that does not have any discoloration on the out side (like blueish or darker spots) because that means it's old. Also shake it, you should be able to hear some fluid (at least that's what I read). Also it should be refridgerated. I LOVE them!

lynsage~ I'm not sure about the tamarind paste, it sounds good though

[shaper]

Nicole ~ I know there are articles out there about transitioning older kids but I'm having the hardest time finding them! There is one on this page - it's the second one down, written by a teen raw foodest (Valya Boutenko).

I have no experience with feeding kids raw but I hear people say a lot, "make every meal craft time!" let them help lots, & have fun with it.

oh! there's another article on waldorfhomeschoolers - here - down towards the bottom of the page there's a question & answer thing that might be of help.

quidditchmom ~ bummer about the health food store - but probably good for your budget - those places are expensive! i rarely shop there.. my local grocery has a pretty decent organic section.

and i have nothing to back it up with, but i'm not concerned about the teeth. i think that's another transition problem.. brushing after citrus is probably wise, though

no idea if there's veggies that shouldn't be eaten raw.. beans maybe?? peanuts?

lynsage ~ another "no clue!!" about hte tamarind paste.. no clue's are usually no's though. that's how it works out for me anyway.. if i have to wonder,it's probably cooked.. heh..

[findingMYway]

I heard about raw food eating years ago and just filed it away as someone else mentioned. I went vegan a while ago but always seemed to deviate when I was pregnant. Anyhow, I have been not eating meat, dairy, sugar, junk food for a while. My mom started eating raw and she is 48 and I swear she could pass for someone who is in their mid to late 20's. She has always been somewhat health concious. But, lately with the raw food eating which she has been doing about a year now, she looks 15 years younger than she did a year ago. You can really tell by her skin more than anything. It just looks tighter and firmer. I am right now aiming for at least 50% raw since that is way better than I have ever done. I want to go fully or at least mostly raw which is actually what my mom does and she still looks and feels great. She makes some really great stuff, one recipe with sweet potatoes and spices, honey tastes better than pumpkin pie! For now the first half of my day is fruit and then veggies and then other. I am finally noticing the stubborn pounds from pregnancy really coming off.

[lynsage]

ok, i did some google research and it looks like it is raw:

http://www.everythingtrini.com/trini...ail.aspx?ID=35

this is the exact product i bought at the asian market- same brand, same package. by the way, i have no idea why these people are charging four bucks for it. mine cost $1.69.

so here's my recipe for raw tamarind ade, which i adapted from other recipes i have seen which call for heating:

For this recipe, you will need a bowl and something to cover it, a half-gallon jar or other container, and a strainer.

2-3 oz raw tamarind
2 cups of water for soaking and 8 cups of water for making the drink
raw honey to taste (i use about 1/2 cup)

Break up a few ounces of raw tamarind and soak it in about two cups of water for at least four hours (or overnight) in a covered bowl.

When the tamarind is finished soaking, pour the water off into a jar and put the soaked tamarind into a strainer over a bowl. Push the tamarind through the strainer, using a spatula or wooden spoon, so that the seeds and hard, stringy bits remain, but the soft pulp goes into the bowl. Pour the reserved soaking water over the pulp to force it through the strainer. You will have to scrape quite a bit of the strained pulp off the outside of the strainer.

Mix the strained pulp, remaining soaking water, and honey until the honey dissolves, pour into half-gallon jar and add 8 cups of water to fill jar. Chill. Finished product will settle, so stir it up before serving.

The tamarind ade will have a similar color and body to raw apple cider.

[ComaWhite]

Regarding the importance of greens of a raw food diet;
Please read this article.
http://www.rawplus.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=309

[quidditchmom]

The pudding I made this morning was from a recipe I found online here : http://www.waldorfhomeschoolers.com/rawrecipe.htm It's made from banana, mango and strawberries. I left out the dates and the kids still liked it.

For lunch the kids made a huge fruit platter (we threw in a few veggies as well) and we made a dip by processing some banana and pineapple. It was really good. For dinner I put a bunch of vegetables and a few fruits out in bowls on the table and told them to pick and choose what they wanted. Not only did I have them eat only what they wanted I also gave them desert no matter what they ate. I took the left over dip and added some coconut milk and poured it over some berries. They liked that (although I thought it smelled gross, but I don't care for coconut).

All snacks were totally raw - fruits, veggies and nuts.

We would have been totally raw today except for a few things. My sister came over tonight and told me she thought that canned pineapple is cooked first. I had gotten that because there were no real pineapples at the store. The coconut milk was canned and so it had a preservative, I don't know if it was cooked. Had to use that because I bought a coconut at the store last night and it leaked. It was one of those easy open pre-packaged ones. I had a big mess. And then tonight ds was really craving cheese so I gave him a couple of slices of cheddar and couldn't resist having one myself.

I have had a headache off and on today and it's been quite bad when it's here. I did have alot of energy though compared to usual, but I've gotten really tired just the past half hour or so. I didn't tell the kids what we were doing, I just fed them and they were fine. Dinner didn't go over well with Spencer, but he's always been quite skeptical about whether vegetables are necessary for life anyways.

I found no organic foods at the store. There were a few things like strawberries and peaches that looked sick and had flies around them and were priced in the $3/lb range. And I couldn't find any dates that weren't coated in sugar I really want to go to the natural food store for things like carob powder, raw honey and dates. I think I'll be going this weekend, but I'm definately going to keep buying what I can at the regular (i.e. cheaper) store.


While I've been typing this, my boyfriend came home and got some lasagne that I made the other night and it looked so good I cheated. But I was still mostly raw today and tomorrow will be better

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Diana

[shaper]

Yep quidditchmom ~ canned stuff is all cooked in the process of canning.. it's funny, i used to be very picky about pineapple and orange juice.. like dole pineapple only, because it was way better than the cheaper brands, and tropicana oj because it tasted so much more alive! but now that i live off of fresh oj and pineapple, they all taste the same to me - dead and far too sweet.. yuck! pineapple is an expensive taste though! they're 5-7$ around here. at the market in the summer they go 2/3$ though.. YAY. i'm away from my island this summer though so I dont think I get any deals like that this year. blueberries i'm looking forward to though, and okanagan cherries.

your day sounded really good! wish i could say the same today..

[Catherine Bennet]

raw food

I do raw in the morning and afternoon. I make a cooked meal for supper. It sure helped me loose weight. If I could just exercise I would do so well. But my sprained foot still hurts. Nice to see I am not the only raw mommy out there....

[arcenciel]

I've been reading all the posts for a while and it's really interesting. I do have one possibly stupid question though. Does raw exclude raw milk and dairy products? And does it exclude raw meat? Or is it just coincidence that most people eating raw are also vegetarian or vegan?

I've been really interested in and convinced by most of the information on raw diets that I've read, but I don't think I could do without my milk or at least cheese or yoghurt or something similar (I mostly only eat dairy products made from raw milk nowadays).

I also try and eat fruit and veg. only when they are in season in my area which would make things pretty grim in the winter if I didn't eat preserved things - I'm talking lacto-fermented à la NT, things like sauerkraut. Would that still count? It's certainly not cooked...

[Ex Libris]

Hi everyone! I love love love this thread. You all inspire me to eat and feel better. I've toyed with the idea of going raw for awhile, and now I'm convinced to give it a go. I'm sure dh will be on board, too.

Only thing I'm worried about is ds. He's 15mo and has lived on a mostly cooked diet since he started eating solids a few months ago. Problem is, he doesn't like fruit. The only thing he's just started eating is banana. Everything else he spits out onto the floor. I guess I'm just wondering what to feed him. He'll eat raw carrots, but that's pretty much it. He's always been a starch boy (esp. rice with cheese!). Any ideas? Any books you can recommend?

Thanks! Kelly

[shaper]

Hello new people!

arcenciel ~ you can do a raw diet with animal products.. if you look up "paleo diet" you'll find more info.. it's not for me. i guess it all depends on what kind of raw diet you do - it's so customizeable!! some raw foodists find sauerkraut and seed cheese, and other fermented foods a very important part of their diets - gabriel cousens has a high opinion of those foods, and has lots of recipes in his books. neither is something i do, since i'm also phasing out the vinegar, but a lot of people do!

Kelly - it may be that he doesn't like fruit because his palate is tainted with all the starches.. it might be a hard adjustment at first with him, but perhaps he will like them once the cooked food is removed from his system? good luck!!

I wonder where Delight is these days?

[shaper]

Oh! I forgot to recommend books for you Kelly -
this one is free online - shelton's book on childcare (kind of a hard read, but some valuable info)
Jinjee's books on raising raw kids & raw pregnancy
also check out Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine by Gabriel Cousens, MD.. it's got a section on raising rainbow babies. Has a handy little chart for which foods to add when (we never really used it).
and there's a book out there called "raw kids" by cheryl stoycoff - but i can't say if it's any good because i've never read it!

hope that helps

[Ex Libris]

Thanks, Shaper, for taking the time to welcome us newbies and give us great advice. It's much appreciated! I'll check out those books . . .

p.s. ds has never liked fruits--I only tried starches and more veggies when he wouldn't eat any fruit. But he didn't like bananas, either, until just recently. I'm guessing that their palate changes over time. I'll juts keep offering it to him and see what happens!

[*green*faery*]

Originally Posted by arcenciel

I've been reading all the posts for a while and it's really interesting. I do have one possibly stupid question though. Does raw exclude raw milk and dairy products? And does it exclude raw meat? Or is it just coincidence that most people eating raw are also vegetarian or vegan?

Like shaper said, some people do eat raw meat, definitely not for me, but we do sometimes eat raw cheese. In the beginning, while transitioning, it helps a lot. I tried raw milk one time while eating raw, and it made my tummy upset, but then again I usually don't drink milk. I also eat sauerkraut, but I don't care for some of the other fermented products. Although it's not exactly raw, I would make miso soup broth in the winter sometimes, only a little heated with some green onions thrown in at the end. It was nice when it's really cold and still fairly light and easy to digest.


momandmore2~ (note: I don't have kids yet )Will he eat thinned out smoothies or anything? Do you think he doesn't like fruit because its to sweet? I posted an almond milk recipe, maybe that? That's great that you are eating and feeling better! Hopefully your Ds taste buds will start to branch out more


*erin*
#1 edd 10/29/05

[3littlesweeties]

[HTML] made some awesome raw bars about a month ago.

1 cup raisins and dried cranberries soaked overnight in just enough water to cover (save water for sweetening something else)
big blob of honey
2-3 big blobs of almond butter

1.5 C coconut (ground 1/2 c)
2.5 C sesame seeds (ground 1/2 c)
1/4 C flax seeds (ground 1/2)
1 c pumpkin seeds (ground)

run the first wet ingredients though the processor, then mix in the seeds. Press into an oiled pan, and refridgerate for a few hours,
again, squares are so easy and versatile, you can add or substitute anything and it wont mess them up. I have also added 1/4 c carob....mmmm.....[/HTML]

Andrea,
I made these bars and I had to have done something wrong cause they tasted like pumkin seed flour, and had a bitter after taste. :LOL

Sooo. i mixed the first ingredients and then the coconut and seeds I ground the amount that sayes ground including 1 c ground pumkin seeds.

What did I do wrong?
thanks
nicole