Vegan/Raw Diets .... eager to learn!

I am not a vegan or raw diet person. I eat meat of all kinds.

However, I am very interested to learn about the lifestyle(s) especially as I read posts on this website about how certain foods have contaminants etc which can be harmful and some foods are better than others (thinking of the fats in raw nuts vs cooked nuts for example!).

I would like to learn more about vegan/raw diet foods and the philosophy behind the movement.

I also would like some recipes or suggestions of foods to start with so even if I am not willing to give up my meat right away perhaps I can start to incorporate the thinking and some foods into my life and go from there.

Any takers? Want to teach me?

Perhaps a FACTOR, but not totally to BLAME.  There are other factors at work, e.g. higher environmental estrogens from plastics and soy.

Venix, you are right to use the word "factor" rather than "blame", perhaps we could throw in "significant" and call it even?

The plastics issue you bring up is one I find particularly horrifying. 
Most of the  industrialized western world has come to recognize the harm certain plastics have on the endocrine system and hormonal development and have taken steps to protect its citizens from them... guess who hasn't!? That's right, the good 'ol U.S. of A. and I am generally revolted by the power that profit has over this country. It makes one wonder when the health and well-being of our adults and children will be put before the almighty dollar.

There is a glimmer hope here in Maine however. A bill before the State Legislature this session is working to ban "the manufacture, selling, or distribution of childcare products intended for use by children 3yrs or younger that contain phthalates or bisphenol-A" (verbage taken from the bill itself). If the bill isn't killed, perhaps there will be a day when baby bottles, teething rings, sippy cups, water bottles, food containers and most plastic toys won't poison us. 

Thank goodness for the SIGG company who has taken the initiative to make safe water and baby bottles as an alternative to what is currently offered up on the shelves.

Venix, you are right to use the word "factor" rather than "blame", perhaps we could throw in "significant" and call it even?

*nod nod*  You got a deal.

"Significant factor" is my honest belief, actually.  I think i'm just getting hugely sensitive to what words I choose when I post to this site.  A lot of people have a tendency to jump on statements that upon first reading sound very extreme, e.g. the blame for hormonal disturbances can be placed on the cattle industry, especially when the statement isn't further qualified with the appropriate mitigator, i.e. "and other stuff like that."

Funny that I jumped right on you, somewhat hypocritical of me.  I guess I'm getting worried that marginal perspectives (like ours) based on truth (like ours) will be further marginalized when word lawyers attack any chink in the armor they can find.  My reaction is to try to get myself and everybody I agree with to jack up their professionalism to withstand all those stupid, energy-draining attacks.

In other words -- I'm sorry to be a word lawyer, but it's for your own good, dammit!  :D

... I am generally revolted by the power that profit has over this country. It makes one wonder when the health and well-being of our adults and children will be put before the almighty dollar.

Russia banned the microwave oven in 1976 after significant studies showed its unhealthfulness.  The ban was lifted during perestroika -- i.e. the encouragement of capitalism in Russia.

There is a glimmer hope here in Maine however. A bill before the State Legislature this session is working to ban "the manufacture, selling, or distribution of childcare products intended for use by children 3yrs or younger that contain phthalates or bisphenol-A" (verbage taken from the bill itself). If the bill isn't killed, perhaps there will be a day when baby bottles, teething rings, sippy cups, water bottles, food containers and most plastic toys won't poison us.

Interesting.  I wonder when they'll get around to taking a critical look at so-called "nursery water" -- filtered water with added flouride, meant for infants and toddlers.  To keep their teeth clean, I guess? 

If I were more of a conspiracy theorist, I'd say it was to reduce their IQ... keep consumers stupid.  But I think the government is just dangerously ignorant, not deliberately evil.

Yeah, let's all feed little kids neurotoxins in more toxic concentrations than even our flouridated tap water.  Gah.  Fine, swish their mouths with it -- there's good evidence showing that's good for your teeth.  But there's no evidence whatsoever that actually drinking the stuff results in fewer dental caries.


I miss my sippy cup.

Venix said "higher environmental estrogens from plastics and soy"

Avesha said: "Most of the  industrialized western world has come to recognize the harm certain plastics have on the endocrine system and hormonal development"

Environmental estrogens can also come from discarded birth control pills so every woman should take this into consideration!

The plastics issue is indeed scary as all hell but I though baby bottle nipples and pacifiers do not contain any phthalates. At least anymore?

Venix, can you tell me why soy is bad? Do you use soy in your diet?

Venix, can you tell me why soy is bad? Do you use soy in your diet?

I was specifically speaking on the existence of phytoestrogens in soy, which may (or may not) contribute to the overall "environmental estrogen problem."

There was a huge debate on this (where things got a bit nasty) over here.  I'm not proud of my first post, it was very hasty and reactionary and caused problems.

If I had to sum it all up, I'd say this is my position:  modern unfermented soy products are tickets in the disease lottery.

I'm not out to tell anyone to stop eating soy, unless they are already interested in doing so.  But I would never encourage anyone to *start* eating soy as if it were a health food, because it's not.  I think it's about as healthy as processed corn.  (Ok, that's harsh -- miso and natto have some proven health benefits if consumed unpasteurized / unheated.  Again, it's the unfermented soy products I find unacceptable.)

Of particular concern is the fact that soy is present in tons and tons of shelf supermarket products, so Americans already consume a lot of soy whether they know it or not.

I don't eat soy, no, with the maybe-once-a-month exception of a bowl of miso soup.  The cleaner my diet is, the more sensitive I am to "off" feelings from various foods, and soy is definitely a "way off" feeling.

In other words -- I'm sorry to be a word lawyer, but it's for your own good, dammit!  :D

No offense or irritation taken to your word lawyering, Venix.
I appreciate the way you approached the wording I used in a soft fashion rather than the usual to which you referenced. I am generally remiss to post on these sorts of topics, as well, due to the amount of "angry vegans/vegetarians/environmentalists/etc." that seem waiting to attack at any moment and ready to morph your words into things they were never intended.

So, thank you for calling me on an over-zealous word choice and offering suggestion in a thoughtful way.

Regards,
Avesha

Venix, thank you for your response. You are obviously a raw-foodist but once a month eat miso soup. This brings me to ask you another naive/ignorant question which I have been wondering about: do you eat other warmed foods? Isn't miso soup considered "unraw"? If so, how much of your diet is "unraw" if any and what items or preparations would you consider healthy "unraw" or cooked/warmed foods? Is there a difference between warm/heated and cooked in your philosophy? Thanks.

Venix, thank you for your response. You are obviously a raw-foodist but once a month eat miso soup.

Actually, come to think of it, I haven't had any miso soup (or other soy) for at least a couple of months.  Haha!

It's very easy to make such a statement when you don't buy any package food products and you haven't had an occasion to eat at an Asian restaurant recently.  And it's easy not to notice that you've gone and done such a thing when you're busy enjoying the best food ever!

This brings me to ask you another naive/ignorant question which I have been wondering about: do you eat other warmed foods? Isn't miso soup considered "unraw"? If so, how much of your diet is "unraw" if any and what items or preparations would you consider healthy "unraw" or cooked/warmed foods? Is there a difference between warm/heated and cooked in your philosophy? Thanks.

You've actually asked about two hours worth of conversation here.  Instead of gumming up this obscure forum thread with a huge post full of blather nobody cares about, I'm moving my response over to a personal entry, where I can gum up my obscure journal with blather nobody cares about.

My ex-roomie was a Macrobiotic chef (female) and an old friend was a Vegan that only ate whole foods (male).  They were both some of the healthiest people I've ever met. 

Eating Raw foods, especially organic, is unbelievably good for your digestive system as well as the rest of your body.

You can find very nutritious ways to make all of your favorite foods.  She made me the healthiest I've ever been, I wish we still lived together!  However there are lots of strict rules, and it's a very limited lifestyle if you choose to go with it.  I've just taken inspiration from it.

Arrowroot = corn starch

Nutritional Yeast = cheese

Soy Milk = Dairy

Tempeh, Tofu, Bean Curd, TVP = "meat"

Incorporate fresh produce (organic is best) and never let your food touch aluminum.  Try to eliminate "nightshades" like tomatoes. Anything that grows at night has some trace amounts of poison or carcinogens.

My fav of her recipes:

Vegan Mac & Cheese:  Whole wheat organic pasta, Nutritional Yeast, garlic, soy milk, braggs = delicious!!! add chunks of tofu for a heartier mac & cheese!

Anything that grows at night has some trace amounts of poison or carcinogens.

Really? Seems strange to me. What is the evidence for this? Thanks for responding.

Nightshades:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KWZ/i s_5_4/ai_111734421

http://www.richardseah.com/naturalhealth/nigh tshades.html

Check it out... macrobiotic is a very interesting lifestyle with many healthy ways of living to be learned.

If only I had the discipline... ha!