March 29. 2011 23:49

Hi, my name is Steven. I am 22 years old. Last week, I began eating only greens and fruits, using a blender to drink them every day. I am rotating my greens, eating as many varieties as I can. I am also rotating my fruits. On this diet, I have lost a lot of weight, I feel awake and full of energy almost all of the time, but I also do intensive exercise and I am losing a bit of muscle mass. The third day, I stopped having gas so much from my new diet, then the 4th day it felt absolutely magical. I felt like I was on a drug that was magnifying my perception, the whole day. I loved that feeling. Then, the 5th day, I was a little bit less aware. I am so new to this that it's almost impossible to get a handle on what information is true. From what I experience, I believe in the effects of eating acid forming foods completely. However, I want to know if you think it is okay to eat only raw foods, if you know anything about toxins that are created through cooking foods, if you know some excellent books I can read that will give me information that has no mention of man-made medicines. I have been reading the material on this site and I thought I might be able to send a question. I hope my idea was appropriate, and I appreciate any time taken to send me an answer.

Steven

Steven Smallwood

March 30. 2011 09:13

Dear Steven,

Congratulations on your new way of living! There are many who believe that a "raw-food diet" is a more natural way to eat. However, one thing you should know is that if you're not accustomed to it, a raw-food diet can be hard for the GI tract to process. Processing your greens and fruits in a blender helps somewhat, but may not help enough. Also, you should realize that losing weight rapidly can release toxins stored in the body fat, which may be part of the reason you're feeling a little mentally sluggish (you don't say whether you were significantly overweight before you started, but if you're losing a lot of weight rapidly, you're also flushing out a great many stored chemicals or toxins, and it may be more than the detoxification pathways in your liver can handle.) It can take some time for these toxins to cycle out of your system, so be patient and take it slow.

Here's what we suggest: For a few months, focus primarily on getting whole foods, organic wherever possible, and if you prefer them raw, eat them raw -- but don't make raw-ness be the principal goal. Instead, focus on getting a variety of nutrient-dense, alkalizing foods (we have a short list of these here, betterbones.com/alkalinebalance/alkalineformingfoods.aspx, or you can buy Susan's book, The Acid Alkaline Food Guide, in the shop section of the web site.) Make sure you stay well hydrated and drink plenty of water or herbal tea (ginger is a good choice) so you can effectively detoxify as you lose weight. Over the next few months, take steps to strengthen your digestion (Susan has tips for that in this article here: betterbones.com/bonenutrition/betterdigestion.aspx) and gradually transition yourself to a raw-foods only diet if that's what you feel is going to work for you. Stay in tune with your body, though -- if you find yourself becoming excessively thin, you may not be absorbing sufficient nutrients to maintain a healthy weight, and it might be better for you to alternate raw and cooked foods. It's also important to make sure you're getting sufficient protein (Susan has an article on that subject here: betterbones.com/bonenutrition/protein/benefits.aspx)

As far as cooking toxins are concerned, a lot depends on how you cook it (e.g., boiling, roasting, stir-frying, microwaving or grilling) and what you cook it on or in (e.g. cookware that's coated, aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron, or glass) and also how you store it (plastic vs glass). People have written entire books on the subject of toxins in cookware, but the short version is, stick with stainless steel, glass, & cast iron, and avoid coated, aluminum, or plastic cookware and storage containers. Ceramic is OK if you can be sure that the glaze or decoration is free of heavy metals -- most US made commercial brands are, but there are imported ceramics that have been found to contain high levels of lead, so be careful there. Don't freeze food in plastic, either -- use wax paper or butcher's paper instead (although it's OK to put something wrapped in paper into a plastic bag or box). Roast, toast, stir-fry, or boil food rather than searing, grilling, frying, or microwaving.

Many of those who advocate raw foods as being best for health insist that there's no better way, but the fact is, it works for some people and not others depending on their personal genetic, health, and lifestyle circumstances. You're going to have to experiment a little to find out what works for you. Best of luck!

Managing Editor

April 25. 2011 22:13

Thanks Susan for your answer re raw food diet.

It is well balanced and helpful to all those people who want to change to healthier living.

I know people who have been on raw food diets for years, and in later life, they are like floating visions, without grounding either physically or mentally.

It is so refreshing for me to read such a balanced and comprehensive
website.

Congratulations on the work you have undertaken.

One other thing that might bring bearing to this discussion is the amount of genetically modified foodstuffs that are inundating the market.  In the USA it is far more comprehensive than in Australia,
however with the free trade agreement, Australia is now going down the same pathway.

Alertness and taking personal responsibility for our health is each individual's gift to themselves.

Thanks once again.  I enjoy your website and all it contains.

stephanie stone

April 26. 2011 08:57

Thanks Stephanie, both for the compliment and for pointing out what I didn't mention -- the GMO issue. You're correct about the extent to which GMO foods permeate the marketplace, and given that there's been no science done on how the genetic alterations in the foods affect what happens when they're ingested, it's wise to be cautious when it comes to GMO foods.

Managing Editor