tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.comments2023-04-05T03:53:11.020-07:00Raw OdysseyAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08136313230375121330noreply@blogger.comBlogger168125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-66292596157602450422009-03-24T15:40:00.000-07:002009-03-24T15:40:00.000-07:00Hi! I just found your site. I've been dabbling i...Hi! I just found your site. I've been dabbling in the raw lifestyle for the past 3 years. The first 6 months-1 year were pretty hardcore focused (not strictly 100% raw, but mostly so). Then life changed and I became less raw, then less, then eventually full on cooked, processed, fast food eating. Life goes in cycles I guess b/c i'm trying to focus on getting on that path again. When I was raw, one problem I had was hairloss. I didn't notice it at the time (though now I do see it in photos), but my mother did. I'm glad to know that it was probably the dramatic change to the raw lifestyle that had something to do with it.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I'm glad to have found a good blog that seems to have a similar view of the raw lifestyle as I do. I'll be reading regularly. :)Anna Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01675252882034267088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-52371964088005054152009-01-21T22:35:00.000-08:002009-01-21T22:35:00.000-08:00I am African American. My ears would gloss over th...I am African American. My ears would gloss over this raw food lifestyle whenever it came on TV during some kind of news segment. I never paid really paid serious attention to it.<BR/><BR/>I am also overweight. I lost almost 50 lbs on weight loss pills. Once I stopped, the weight piled back on. <BR/><BR/>I recently realized that when I eat a lot of unhealthy food my body feels weighted down and sick. I feel very lethargic and drained. I tire and anger easily. <BR/><BR/>Now, I am ready to try the raw food lifestyle. I have the juicer. It was purchased years ago. However, I am moving from one city to another. The movers are coming this Monday to move my things. I will not be able to start this life style until after February 3, 2009. I guess in a way this is good because there is so much that I need to learn. <BR/><BR/>I've looked at the pictures of the foods shown on various raw food websites and they look so delicious. From another website I learned that too much fruit juicing due to the natural sugars is not good for you. There is a lot I need to learn. <BR/><BR/>The hard part is where to start.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-72237937395296235132009-01-14T23:26:00.000-08:002009-01-14T23:26:00.000-08:00Greetings all, I am so happy to read other Afric...Greetings all,<BR/> I am so happy to read other African Americans on the raw food path. I can really identify with Allison and her story. I have also been on and off the "raw wagon" and I really feel the difference when I'm off. I am currently back on and I'm taking it one day at a time. I'm learning not to be so hard on myself when I fall off. I'm a big bread and snack eater so I'm making more dehydrated breads and crackers this time. I'm increasing my greens and fruit intake. One day at a time, the journey begins with the first step and stay present in the NOW because that is really all we have.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-88192748318095914782008-12-30T09:05:00.000-08:002008-12-30T09:05:00.000-08:00Hello there! I am so glad to see other African Ame...Hello there! I am so glad to see other African Americans taking the Raw Path. I am a raw foodist and have actually recently started coaching people on this lifestyle and detoxifying cleanses. I love it! I wish I had gone raw a loooong time ago. I got turned on to it years ago as an alternative therapeutic method to help reverse illnesses and other physical ailments I had. It worked and I have been healthy ever since. Why wouldn't I want to share my knowledge and experience?Saudade Strangerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14401900749459054109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-92138497338235649022008-10-08T21:00:00.000-07:002008-10-08T21:00:00.000-07:00About what to do with coconut meat- don't let it g...About what to do with coconut meat- don't let it go to waste! It's good stuff- I got introduced to the raw food lifestyle by such books as "The Raw 50" by Carol Alt and "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen," by Ani Phyo. They both include great information on coconuts, as well as great recipes on how to use their meat. They include some cheesecake recipes (Ani calls it "cheeze," to distinguish it from its non-vegan original counterpart)and other items such as brownies and tarts (mostly desserts). Even if you don't like eating straight coconut meat (I do; it's just that it's hard to chew and just does not go as fast as the awesome coconut water), you will find that there are many things that the experienced raw chefs can teach you about making it more fun. Better yet, many of the recipes are freezer-friendly, so that the items are conveniently on hand and won't rot. Good luck!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-58896873888607807532008-08-04T20:04:00.000-07:002008-08-04T20:04:00.000-07:00I know you posted this a long time ago and I only ...I know you posted this a long time ago and I only just found your blog via a youtube video of raw lasagna (want recipe by the way). I have a similar problem that is clearly stemming from a thyroid problem however my primary care doctor quickly gave up trying to find an explanation after one round of minimal testing, she pretty much only tested my tsh levels and had an ultrasound of my swollen thyroid done which revealed nothing. <BR/>But anyyyywayyy. A few years ago I tried the south beach diet which is when i started eating meat after 12 years of a poorly balanced vegetarian diet. I stuck with the meat for a while and a year and a half ago I started Atkins. I lost 40 pounds in 2 months, which was actually horrible and my skin is going to be paying for it for the rest of my life. I stuck with Atkins for 6 months. The entire time I suffered from all the problems you listed such as hair loss, brittle hair and nails. <BR/>So maybe you've already found a solution to this, but as soon as I stopped Atkins all those problems went away, I still have my mystery seemingly thyroid related issues, and I gained half the weight back but all the size (less muscle now). I've since gone vegan since the only reason I started eating meat was for my nutrition, and that back fired, so now my diet is again aligned with my morals and I just have to find a healthy balance so i can begin losing weight again at a safe pace.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-77697769536462514912008-07-24T08:27:00.000-07:002008-07-24T08:27:00.000-07:00kgeris i think you are very naive in your comments...kgeris i think you are very naive in your comments. I am not a 100% raw foodist but i eat very healthy and incorporate a lot of vegetable and fruit juices/smoothies into my diet. I wish the world would not revolve around calories. Your body tells you when you are hungry and if you feed it nutritious and clean food it goes a much longer way then an equivalent bloody big mac. When you are hungry again your body will tell you. As long as you carfully listen to what your body tells you will get the nutrients you need and dont have to calorie count. <BR/><BR/>Doctors especially GP's are the worst kind, they are so ignorant in nutrition and the way the human body works. We may have grown up on a thousand years of cook food but it doesnt mean its the best stuff for you. Another thing everyone is different. Some people can go a whole lifetime and eat what they want and be okay to a ceratin point, other can't so you cannot judge one persons path based on especially what a whole load of stupd tradiitonal doctors are saying. They are usually the ones who sit there sipping bucket loads of coffeee during the day and asking for increaing pay rises for shoving out pills and rubbish that are slowly killing the nation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-78594805649079546922008-06-10T14:21:00.000-07:002008-06-10T14:21:00.000-07:00I came across your blog and I'm sorry to say it bu...I came across your blog and I'm sorry to say it but how is this considered lunch: 1 banana<BR/>Whole Foods Raw Nuts/Seeds Mix (estimated cals), 0.25 cup<BR/><BR/>Keep up the good work of eating healthy but wow! You need to eat to be healthy! I dont know how all that totaled 1300 calories at all. <BR/><BR/>You should maybe ask more doctors for help, bc as much as obesity is a problem in the US, anorexia and starvation are possibly even bigger problems and the healthcare industry and doctors dont always seem to know a healthy balance. Good luck.kgergishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10150349712097782803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-84302502561947751162008-04-30T19:12:00.000-07:002008-04-30T19:12:00.000-07:00Hi,there's an interesting event happening in Hawai...Hi,<BR/><BR/>there's an interesting event happening in Hawaii this November. <BR/><BR/>the Raw Games<BR/><BR/>www.rawolympics.orgpaulrawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07649056117987609131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-43255110512351973022008-04-17T13:00:00.000-07:002008-04-17T13:00:00.000-07:00You told me exactly what I wanted to know about yo...You told me exactly what I wanted to know about your experience! Thank you so much! Great job...<BR/>RawTnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-66222700762646772572008-01-15T22:18:00.000-08:002008-01-15T22:18:00.000-08:00Thank you kristen, and everyone, for your kind com...Thank you kristen, and everyone, for your kind comments, advice and encouragement. :-)Allisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08136313230375121330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-77644677426303632482008-01-12T18:56:00.000-08:002008-01-12T18:56:00.000-08:00Congrats on getting back to Raw. I hope your stoma...Congrats on getting back to Raw. I hope your stomach feels better soon. Have you tried warm Miso soup? It's not Raw, but it's "living." When I was in Hong Kong some years back and became very ill in my stomach, they fed me tons of that. It's excellent for digestion, warming, soothing, filled with great digestion enhancing properties. Just stir a tablespoon into some very warm water and drink as soup.<BR/>Delicious!<BR/><BR/>Cheers :)<BR/>Kristen's RawKristen's Rawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15340522295588234162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-81984599565050921022008-01-09T07:25:00.000-08:002008-01-09T07:25:00.000-08:00I learned a lot from your story. Imagine, going al...I learned a lot from your story. Imagine, going all down to raw foods. But I jut want to share other informations about Gastric Bypass Surgery. Here you will learn more about it. http://www.weight-loss-surgery-secrets.com/controversial/free_wls_report.htmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-23153173739915838552008-01-04T06:55:00.000-08:002008-01-04T06:55:00.000-08:00That's such a great idea, especially since it's ea...That's such a great idea, especially since it's easy to forget how bad things were once they've been improved. I wish you success!Candice Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686226011417755561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-84075875246956272382007-12-31T16:41:00.000-08:002007-12-31T16:41:00.000-08:00I wish you tons of success with Raw Vegan food. Ha...I wish you tons of success with Raw Vegan food. Happy New Year!<BR/><BR/>Kristen's RawKristen's Rawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15340522295588234162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-20956669626663541442007-12-30T13:26:00.000-08:002007-12-30T13:26:00.000-08:00I saw a post of yours on Gone Raw which led me to ...I saw a post of yours on Gone Raw which led me to your site. I've bookmarked it and I really want you to succeed - it will inspire me to stick with staying Raw. This is my first venture into it (2 months now) and I am loving how I feel. I hope it's a lifetime change. I have plenty of non raw folks who think I've lost my mind and they are just waiting for me to slip - that's enough to keep me on track.<BR/><BR/>As for your "blah's", I know this is the last thing you will want to do, but go for a walk... daily if possible. You don't have to speed walk, just walk for the JOY of it. Truly, it releases those feel-good endorphins and will very likely give you the boost you need right now. If you don't like walking alone, find a friend or a dog (borrow one if you don't have your own) to take along. <BR/><BR/>Regardless of whether you take that advice, I am sooooo hoping for your success. Blog again soon!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-46875896759592944852007-12-13T23:25:00.000-08:002007-12-13T23:25:00.000-08:00soo i recently began reading your blogs && i love ...soo i recently began reading your blogs && i love reading them.<BR/>i too have attempted the raw lifestyle && it kills me that it brings soo much goodness and positive energy into my life, yet i can't seem to make it last. i keep going back to my unhealthy habits ... && it's true no one is forcing us to eat the bad stuff, but we just crave it .... i wish i didn't. i'm sure you'll get back on track ... just remember how bad those foods make you feel. :]]Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-23195054065599291302007-12-07T17:13:00.000-08:002007-12-07T17:13:00.000-08:00ever heard of the Douglas Graham program at foodns...ever heard of the Douglas Graham program at foodnsport.com? He's actually a collegue and friend of mcdougall. He also has a discussion forum on vegsource. he believes one of the most common problems in the mainline raw diet is overeating of fats and oils, and undereating of fruits (for calories). yes, he recommends plenty of veggies too, for other nutrients, but undereat fruit at your own peril, tropical creature that you and we all are. check out the doug program, which doug invented by just turning mcdougal and other similar nutritionist programs into the raw version (lots of carbs, low fat, etc). I think VERY highly of McDougall's program and McDougall himself, but the 80/10/10 program is the ultimate IMO!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-63586807911799014232007-12-02T15:43:00.000-08:002007-12-02T15:43:00.000-08:00hi there -- I think that many of the posters are e...hi there -- I think that many of the posters are echoing the same issues. Perhaps you need to take a step back and really ingest the natural recommendations that have been posted. On many of the hair loss threads I have read, the solution to reducing this loss has been to increase intake of all green leafy veggies, and perhaps even superfoods such as wheat and barleygrasses. I can sort of summarize what I have found to be highly beneficial. The medication is only making your gut even more confused about what should be absorbed. <BR/><BR/>1) Reduce your stress levels as quickly & consistently as possible. <BR/><BR/>2) Consume B- vitamins, or a complex of B-vitamins with biotin. Try a sublingual B-12 as well if you need it. Otherwise, maybe take a mutivitamin/multimineral or liquid vitamin/mineral supplement<BR/><BR/>3) Make smoothies or soups with natural protein sources: <BR/>- greens!! <BR/>- hemp seed oil or powder<BR/>- soaked nuts/seeds <BR/>- avocados! <BR/><BR/>4) Eat natural sources of essential fatty acids (EFAs). That will reduce your dry skin and moisture issues. You will lubricate the body from the inside out. <BR/>- flax oil <BR/>- coconut oil (coconut fudge recipe from goneraw.com is AMAZING)<BR/>- soaked nuts and seeds, esp. walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds<BR/><BR/>5) Sleep more and drink water :) <BR/><BR/>6) Prophetically speak and think of a Healed Allison -- this is just as important as the nutritional things. <BR/><BR/>Feel free to email me at okorolina40@hotmail.com<BR/><BR/>PS -- I think you need to really address the greens and the EFAs asap. If you are off your thyroid meds, you can take some small amounts of sea veggies (nori, wakame) to remind the thyroid of its job :) <BR/><BR/>Blessings, <BR/><BR/>LinaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-26240405214662096612007-11-28T15:34:00.000-08:002007-11-28T15:34:00.000-08:00Re: hair loss, have you tried drinkingKombucha tea...Re: hair loss, have you tried drinking<BR/>Kombucha tea? It is a probiotic tea you<BR/>can buy at WFS, many people make their<BR/>own, and the number one comment I hear<BR/>from people who drink it is the effect it<BR/>has on their hair......CleoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-11790557303526956692007-11-11T21:03:00.000-08:002007-11-11T21:03:00.000-08:00You'll do fine within whatever limitations are imp...You'll do fine within whatever limitations are imposed! Good luck with your new meds. My mother has diabetes, though she's lost most of the weight and habits that got her there. My daddy has recently become obese. He has no related health issues so far, but they can't be far in the future. I applaud you for taking control of your own life and health!Candice Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686226011417755561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-56604846748095529692007-11-06T07:21:00.000-08:002007-11-06T07:21:00.000-08:00I hope you read the responses to your blogs....Get...I hope you read the responses to your blogs....<BR/><BR/>Getting all those diagnostic tests done could be an interesting exercise, but pcos has been known to go away with the right diet. You'd have a rare doctor indeed if he/she prescribed anything beyond medical and not-quite-there nutritional advice and surgical approaches that won't cure the underlying cause. I personally like medical tests for their "before and after" measurment capability, but they are expensive. <BR/><BR/>Your endocrine and hair loss issues scream "poor absorption of nutrients and/or lack of adequate nutrients in a useable form." <BR/><BR/>It may be time to revisit the idea of green smoothies, which will help both problems. Its just that you have to do ENOUGH green, and it must be BLENDED. And it has to taste good. Taking in enough BLENDED greens to provide 10-20 grams of protein will help you a lot. It will help your body produce more HCl to digest other foods (most of us over-40's are deficient, which puts us into an endless cycle of clogging our colons, even with good diets), it will help clean out your colon so you can absorb food properly, and it will provide you with an absolute powerhouse of minerals to balance your endocrine system and feed your hair properly. <BR/><BR/>A quick word on protein. Cooked animal protein, I have read, is only 80% bioavailable. That means that you might be eating 80 grams of protein, but you may end up with 60 grams of waste and 20 grams of useable protein. You can improve the digestability of proteins by always eating cooked meats with onions and with a naturally fermented food like saurkrauts, ginger carrots, kim chee, pickled onions, etc. They help convert the part of meats that become carcinogens in our bodies into useable amino acids. See Sally Fallon's "Nourishing Traditions," and Donna Gates' "Body Ecology Diet" if you want to keep eating animal protein. It is possible to easily make these fermented foods at home.<BR/><BR/>So your dietitian is right when it comes to the fact that it IS difficult to absorb protein from the veggies we eat, because we usually chew them. BLEND THEM. But don't let him/her scare you off with the amount of sugar in the fruit. This is not as important an issue as we once thought it was. And it is absolutely necessary to have these blended greens taste good, or we won't eat them. Frederic Patenaude explained that greens-plus-fruit won't aggravate candida and blood sugar balance, but that it is the fatty foods we eat that help keep the candida infestation alive. So cut back on the fats while doing green smoothies, live with the herxheimer die-off that will probably occur and last a few days, and you'll be so glad you did. If you are concerned about the blood sugar implications with all that fruit, it appears that people who do green smoothies find their blood sugar STABILIZES. Mine did, too. When I have a green smoothie, I don't have hunger pangs all day long. When I don't have them, I'm hungry every hour or so, whether I'm "hungry" or not. <BR/><BR/><BR/>I recommend "Green for Life," by Victoria Boutenko. It tells the story of how Victoria found green smoothies to be the answer to what was NOT working in her raw food diet, resulting in all sorts of improvements in hair, teeth, restful sleep, etc. It also includes a study of normal folks given 1 quart of smoothie per day for 30 days, with results, including tests for hydrochloric acid levels in the stomach before and after. It also has some recipes to follow or just be inspired by. She did a great deal of research, which she shares. She also recommends adding flax to the smoothies, which also helps stabilize estrogen, which sounds like it would be very helpful in your case, and of course it helps cleaning out the intestines. I bought my copy, but it is a quick read, and if it isn't on your library's search engine, you should be able to request it at the reference desk. <BR/><BR/>You might look into stabilized flax seed for convenience(www.omegafields.com). I also recommend the Colonix program at www.drnatura.com. It is a hugely entertaining site, in a gross sort of way, with pictures of what comes out of people. They have thousands of testimonials...this seems to be the most effective and pleasant program on the market. <BR/><BR/><BR/>From a weight-loss perspective, I'd suggest spreading the smoothies throughout the day. The body burns only so many calories per hour, unless we are exercising. Sipping 100-200 calories worth of this nutritional powerhouse throughout the day should result in excellent weight loss, both from removed debris in the belly area, healthy water/toxin loss (we retain water to buffer toxins), and by only taking in what we are going to use, so the body doesn't need to store anything as fat. It will also help wash away the lactic acid that causes muscle aches and which keeps us from exercising as much as we want, AND provide great energy to exercise longer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-43607383685781030152007-11-03T14:15:00.000-07:002007-11-03T14:15:00.000-07:00do you know what kind of cysts you have? pcos cys...do you know what kind of cysts you have? pcos cysts have a characteristic look to them, like a string of pearls. a trans-vaginal ultrasound can let you know if this is what is going on for you. and if this is what you have, pcos is likely, in my opinion.<BR/><BR/>is the doctor you are seeing an endocrinologist or a regular md? it might be a good idea to see an endo if you aren't. they are more versed in both thyroid disorders and pcos than your garden variety doctor.<BR/><BR/>and lastly, you should be evaluated for insulin resistance. the gold standard would be a glucose tolerance test WITH insulin check. if that isn't an option, a fasting insulin and blood sugar would be a good second choice. women with pcos are often hyperinsulinemic. there is some controversy over whether pcos is caused by hyperinsulinemia and the resulting insulin resistance, or if it is just a part of the cluster of abnormalities seen in pcos. but, no matter what, getting a better handle on your insulin and blood sugar can go a long way toward helping any symptoms you may have.<BR/><BR/>i'm sorry you're going through this, boy do i know how you feel. but, look on the bright side, if you know what's wrong, you know what you can do to make yourself feel better. especially if your thyroid is the culprit, getting on meds will definitely improve your quality of life.<BR/><BR/>take care of yourself,<BR/>cgchubbiegirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04203786747768450545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-5740248112320457412007-10-29T23:37:00.000-07:002007-10-29T23:37:00.000-07:00I have PCOS. I am trying to transition to become 1...I have PCOS. I am trying to transition to become 100% raw. However, I am taking my time this time. I wish I could just go cold turkey, but I did that last time and it didn't last. I was 100% raw for only 2 weeks, but I noticed a big change in my PCOS. My moods where great. My facial hair growth slowed down and my the loosing of my head hair slowed down. I also have insomnia from the PCOS and during the 100% raw I found I was going to sleep ealier and staying asleep. I also lost 11 pounds or more in those 2 weeks. I had GREAT results and that is why I need to recommit. I also have diabetes now from the PCOS and my blood sugar levels where great while 100% raw eating lots of fruits.becoming wholehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03494031422828125063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21132813.post-86475232101371308212007-10-25T20:57:00.000-07:002007-10-25T20:57:00.000-07:00you could try doing a raw juice FEAST. I'm fastin...you could try doing a raw juice FEAST. I'm fasting right now and you lose about a pound a day. It's good if you've eaten a lot of junk food throughout your life because it cleans out your system. I think juice feasting is really interesting because you really clean out your system and you get a ton of nutrients at the same time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com