raw foods - 1 meal a day (all day continuous)

Okay, I'm a new member (<3weeks). I spent the first two weeks just "logging" my foods, now I am modifying the ratios to gain optimum benefit (and lose some excess fat).

   TODAY: 1,232 calories. Nutrition grade A. Fat - 16.4% (23 grams), Protein - 8.3% (26 grams),  Carbohydrates - 69.9% (221 grams), Alcohol - 5.3% (10 grams), Sodium Intake - 643 mg, Cholesterol Intake - 3 mg, Fiber Intake - 15 grams


 My question is. What do I do with my low protein and lowish cals (never above 1500). CC recommends 1350. 1800 sedentary. I'm 5ft2, aged 43. I've been living on less than 1000cals for years (but gained amost 20kg over that time).  

I have been primarily vegetarian all my life but I do eat dairy and some seafood.  (As I have previously stated, and been vilified for, on very rare occassions, when my Dr says I'm anemic, I will eat 2tbsp of cooked chicken breast). Would rather eat nuts and beans but I get IBS symptoms.  So...I am cutting back on cheese, increasing fresh fruits and veges, increasing grains, increasing nuts and legumes. For the past two days I have been eating all raw, except beans which are cooked in salted water. I am LOVING this. I am constantly grazing (20g at a time) and I feel great today. I haven't needed caffeine for the past week, and I am not craving chocolate :-)

I'm just worried that the 500cal deficit is still too low, and I am doing something wrong. Any ideas?

Nevermind, I ruined the 500 cal deficit anyway with a handful of cashews and a few glasses of wine!     <hmmmm>

bo-bo-bo posted a question on raw which has had good responses :-)  

I am still gathering information about the right combinations of foods (and their reparation) to fuel my body appropriately and provide all the essential amino acids I need to produce the neurotransmitters to keep me sane (okay - just keep me stable!).

Hey shazm64,

There is a lot going on in your post that's totally different from the other thread, so no "nevermind" about it.  :)

If you've been gaining weight eating very few calories, your metabolism needs a kick in the pants!  Exercise is completely necessary here.

If you're changing your diet towards more raw, and you're finding yourself unable to resist high-calorie things like cashews and red wine at the end of a day of grazing, it can mean one of two things: (1) you're not getting enough calories from the grazing, or more likely (2), what you're grazing on needs to be denser in minerals AND you need better intestinal health to fully digest it.  You mentioned IBS, so (2) is almost a guarantee.

I recommend reading "Green for Life", because Victoria Boutenko has lots to say about the effects of eating at different times during the day, and why you might end up with cravings for heavy foods even though your numbers suggest you've eaten plenty for the day.

Basically, when you change your diet significantly, the numbers get funny.  Your body's going to be confused and not actually extract all the nutrients out of your food, not until your intestinal flora have adjusted.  This goes for cooked *and* raw.  So, even if it seems like you're eating too many calories, as long as you're exercising and eating as much raw as you feel comfortable with, you should be on the right track.

Finally, IBS and nuts do not go well together.  I speak from experience -- I'm IBS-C (though nearly asymptomatic at this point), and very sensitive to starchy foods like yams and bananas, and complex foods like nuts that are combinations of protein, fat, fiber, and carbs.

If you want to heal IBS, shoot for making your diet at least 80% raw, consisting *primarily* of fresh juicy things (as opposed to dried and heavy things like dates and nuts), and find yourself a good-quality probiotic, which will also help you absorb more goodness from your food.  Coconut and various seeds (flax, hemp, sunflower) are much more suitable heavy foods while you're healing.

You're doing really great, I think your head's in the right place.  Trust your instincts and keep listening to your body, especially before, during, and after meals.

In fact, I would trust your occasional cravings for animal foods.  B-12 is actually extremely helpful in intestinal healing, and it's extremely hard to get therapeutic amounts of it from vegetable sources (i.e. bacteria).  You might find that the addition of a raw egg yolk or two every other day to your routine diet will completely eradicate the occasional cravings for meat and dairy.  That may sound weird or gross, but there are a lot of ways you can work it in without downing eggs "Rocky-style".

You probably already know this, but anemia is often caused not by iron-deficiency but by deficiency of B-12.  So, unless animal foods are making you feel awful mentally or physically, I wouldn't be in a hurry to shoo them out of your life.

Again, your positivity and attitude towards making gradual changes sound really healthy.  Cheers!

--Naomi

ps. chocolate's not such a bad thing...  :)

Oh, about amino acids -- a great way to get all 9 essential, PLUS 9 "nonessential" amino acids in your diet without really trying is to work goji berries into your daily diet.

I probably use about 1/3 cup of them every day in the form of smoothies, tossed into salads, or worked into sweets like banana pudding, chocolate-goji energy bars... lots of stuff.

Considering that goji berries are not only amino-acid powerhouses, but also the NUMBER ONE HERB in Chinese medicine for its balancing properties, there's really no way you can go wrong with those things.

Thank you Naomi for you very helpful post.

I had considered vitamin b12 deficiency as the probable cause of my lethargy and symptoms of depression. However, as I am a mental health professional and need to be "menatlly healthy" to help my clients, I was aware I needed to take immediate action to deal with my mood issues. I have been taking an SSRI (Lexipro) and an anti-anxiety med (propolanolol) to tackle the anxiety attacks head on, whilst seeking counselling to deal with root causes (whilst I made a return to a healthy lifestyle with fresh foods, exercise, and meditation). As of 8 days, I have not taken the SSRI.

Regarding the weight gain, I suspect it is due to a combination of things: I had to give up my exercise (karate) due to injury 15 mths ago; I have been taking a low dose SSRI for 13 mths; I am overproducing cortisol (high stress lifestyle); and I am consuming alcohol (a CNS depressant) in larger quantities than I used to. I have NEVER been anywhere near 80kg before (even when pregnant), and my diet hasn't changed much over the years, so I know it cannot be due to food consumption alone.

Regarding eating raw foods: I've entertained this lifestyle several times in my past (I just do it subconsciously when I need to - as I am very much a believer in eat what your body craves - there's a reason for the craving!).

I've read some of your back posts also (great advice on combining!) although I could not bring myself to eat raw animal flesh (and raw eggs might be a bit much for me too!). I can eat raw fish and I love smoked fish (still looks raw!). I am going to look out for goji berries (not seen them here in our health food stores locally). I wonder what you think of the other supplements I take regularly ..

For LIVER function, milk thistle  7000mg, dandelion & artichoke (ayurveda medicine), and ba zhen wan (ginseng danggui 8 combo including angelica, Paeonia lactiflora, ginseng).

For colon: Metamucil once or twice a week if fiber low,  and when I do detox weekend I use senna leaf (gentle) to assist in complete cleanse of bowel. (I eat fresh licorice almost every day).

For intestines: (as well as natural greek yoghurt with omega 3) I take L acidophilis and bifidus.

For blood: I take vit b12 1000mg per day, and a b-complex capsule (all 7 b-goup vits - plus some folic acid)

For brain: I take 500mg fish oil (omega 3) per day.

For skin: Vitamin C 1000mg, Lysine 500mg, Zinc amino acid chelate 50mg.

Fluid: I'm in a constant state of dehydration I think! I 'try' to drink 1 litre of pure water. I have cut coffee intake again (was once 10cups per day) and I drink lemon in hot water with honey, I drink rosehip tea. I am trying to avoid guarana/caffeine super drinks (though I love them), and I don't drink electrolyte drinks (too much sodium). My downfall is that I like red wine and whiskey.

:-)    

Hey Shazzy :D

Based on your analysis, you still need to replace some of your carbohydrates for protein. Check the labels on your grains to make sure that they ARE indeed whole wheat, because some breads have gone as far as to color their white breads with a caramel color! The first ingredient should read 'whole wheat flour.'

And can I ask what you mean by 'grazing?' Does this mean nibbling on raw veggies and salads? You can easily incorporate protein into your salads. I like to use cottage cheese as both a lowfat and high protein dressing, or for dipping veggies. You can add garlic or other flavors for taste.

Also, many veggies are high in protein! Asparagus, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, brussel's sprouts, and spinach are a few. Also, I like to eat Dannon Lite 'n Fit yogurt. It's only 60 calories with 5g protein and lots of calcium. A slice of fat free cheese is 30 calories and 5g protein. Try to work some of these foods into your diet, and you'll see your protein percentage shoot up!

If you have any other questions or want any other lowcal high protein suggestions, feel free to message me. I too used to have very low protein, but now I always get atleast 50g a day without meat. :)

Thanks Muttlover :-)

In response to the grazing question: Basically it is eating when you feel like it - no set meal times - preparing a bowl of fresh fruits and veges (and/or grains, nuts and legumes, dried fruits) and simply taking a handful now-and-then....

"Grazing" is a way of eating I 'found' in my early 20's that fits in with a philosophy of abundance, and a belief that the universe has supplied all the nutrients we need (without the need to destroy their natural state with additives, preservatives, colours, "new tastes"). I used to eat almost 100% organic, but though I was eating what my body "craved" I did carefully watch my nutrient intake and monitor amino acid intake.  Sadly, life got too hectic (time management issues) and the budget was over-taken with new necessities like school fees, car payments, internet and cable tv and (you know the story) I just began to be too busy to shop wisely. In addition, here in Queensland Australia it is difficult to maintain a backyard garden (requires a lot of work, adding nutrients to soil, all the pollutants and the neighbours insecticides or other nasties you don't "know" about). So...... I began buying pre-packaged and processed foods. BIG MISTAKE!

Hi Venix :-) 

You mentioned that "what you're grazing on needs to be denser in minerals AND you need better intestinal health to fully digest it". 

I am now seeking to remedy that. I had a jar of musashi strip food in my cupboard (30g = 33% daily recommendation all vits, minerals, and is good source of protein, and L-Carnitine). Are you familiar with their products? I'm going to return to taking 30g with lowfat milk once a day.

By the way, do you have any recommendatins for online sources of (good) information on food mixing or 'best times to eat particular foods)?   I think I'd like to try eating my proteins seperate from other foods?

Shaz

You mentioned that "what you're grazing on needs to be denser in minerals AND you need better intestinal health to fully digest it". 

I am now seeking to remedy that. I had a jar of musashi strip food in my cupboard (30g = 33% daily recommendation all vits, minerals, and is good source of protein, and L-Carnitine). Are you familiar with their products? I'm going to return to taking 30g with lowfat milk once a day.

I have only just become aware of Musashi products -- seems to be more of an Aussi thing, as there's basically zero marketing for it over in the US.  I don't know enough about it to comment; I can't even find the ingredient list on their website.

For minerals *and* protein, I'm a staunch advocate of hard leafy greens like kale, spinach, chard, and the like.

By the way, do you have any recommendatins for online sources of (good) information on food mixing or 'best times to eat particular foods)?  

There is a wealth of information all over the net!  A little searching brings up tons of opinions.  For a totally novel perspective on what we should eat when and why, check out "The Warrior Diet".  That's a very cooked diet, but I know some raw foodists who eat and thrive on that schedule.

My recommendations fall along the lines of these principles:

* delay breakfast until after exercise (even just some light exercise like a walk), especially if you don't have much of an appetite in the morning
* eat only fruit in the morning
* get most of your calories between noon and 5pm, because that's when your digestion is the most active.  eat little to nothing after that.

My view is based on Victoria Boutenko's research (again, Green for Life is essential reading), and on my own experience and intuition.

You might also be interested in "sequential eating".


I think I'd like to try eating my proteins seperate from other foods?

Yeah, eating starches and proteins separately is definitely a great first step. 

I wouldn't worry about the really complex food combining rules, e.g. the ones that say you shouldn't combine protein with fat, or protein with sugar.  There is a lot of science for some of it (protein + starch is definitely a recipe for indigestion and malabsorption), and very little or none of a lot of the rest of it (why exactly is it bad to combine fats with proteins when proteins almost always occur in the presence of fats?).

On a personal note, I definitely find that in any particular meal, I need to make one macronutrient my "focus" (i.e. sugar, fat, or protein), because having two or more high macronutrients together in a meal results in a variety of indigestion and/or IBS symptoms.  But that's just me, your mileage may vary.

Basically, treat food combining as sort of a "nifty concept" that may help you out.   Do little three-day trials of some of the food combining rules, where you are quite strict with whatever rules you choose, and see how you feel at the end of it.

I want to address the supplements and everything, but I'm out of time for now.

--Naomi

don't listen to calorie count's recommendations you'll end up getting sick.

get a nutritionist.