Sport Raw Food for Complete Fitness

[Isopach]

Hey people.

Anyone here a raw food vegan? Ever heard of that?

I've been a vegetarian for almost a year, and a raw food vegan for about 5 months, though I can only claim that I'm 90% raw. Still eat a few cooked things from time to time. The weening process is a bit slow, but it is happening.

My diet consists primarly of oceangrown wheatgrass juice, and oceangrown sunflower sprouts. These pictures are of the plants that I grow in my house with my family. We're all raw food vegans, by the way. No, we're not hippies. Anything BUT!

That's about it, really. These two items make up the majority of my diet. That's my recipe: wheatgrass juice, and sunflower sprouts. Both must be oceangrown for this to work, though. The rest of my diet is fruits, veggies in big, super salads, and raw crackers made by a Toronto raw food company.

Eating raw food works extremely well for people who want to be as healthy and strong as possible, be free of disease, and live a very long time. Bear in mind, it must be raw organic food. If it isn't, all the pesticides and poisons will prevent that from happening.

The best example of success with a raw food diet I know of is a guy named Peter Ragnar. If you Google that name, you'll find some amazing stuff. (In case you're wondering, I'm not trying to advertise him. Just citing him as reference.)

It is important to note that diet alone will not make you fit or strong. In order to do that, you must exercise. This is a given, something that many, many people will readily agree with.

"OH yeah! Uh huh, uh huh. That's absolutely right!"

The same people will then come up with every excuse why they shouldn't or can't exercise. Funny. And sad.

That's my two bits for today. Tell me what you think about all this.

 

[malkore]

I don't see anything natural or normal about eating 'vegan style'. I won't bash it, because its your personal/moral/ethical choice to live with, not mine...no skin off my back.

But people are meant to be omnivores, not herbivores. And science proves that some things need cooking/denaturing to be more bio-available to the body, and other things don't.

Any eating regimen that strictly limits you to a tiny, finite list of foods, is going to limit the nutrients you get, including complete protein. Being vegan doesn't mean you're healthy, it means you don't like to 'hurt' animals. Great...more for me.

 

[Isopach]

Oookay. Anyone else?

Green food is best. No, that doesn't include spoiled meat.


BTW, I like the taste of meat. Pity for animals is not my motivation. My health is just FAR too important to me. Damaging it with meat and cooked food is not a good idea. Taste has nothing to do with nutrition.

As far as protein goes, I've been getting plenty of it with the wheatgrass juice and sunflowers... LOTS. My physique has remained excellent, skin condition is much better, and I haven't been sick since I changed my diet. Hmmmm.... and I've only been veggie for a year.... and raw for 5 months. Not to mention that I'm in the army, and participate in very strenuous exercise frequently.

I guess I must be Superman or something... I'm waiting for your excuses. By the way, I've heard almost all of them already.

 

[abear]

People I look up to like Christian Finn, Alan Aragon, Lyle McDonald, etc agree with what malkore said and that's who I choose to stick with.

 

[Susie]

Good for you Isopach for having the willpower to stick to a raw diet.

I eat meat but I want to cut down for health reasons-- my grandmother had colon cancer and meat consumption has been linked to that, among other things.

What is meant by "oceangrown" wheatgrass and sunflower seeds?

 

[Isopach]

"Oceangrown" means that the plant has been grown with ocean water.

This is something that most people never hear of or even imagine possible. But it is!

I don't live anywheres near the ocean. In fact, I live in the largest city in Canada: Toronto.

So how do I get ocean water? I buy it from a company called OceanGrown Canada. There is a US and UK equivalent too.

I wouldn't have believed that all this works unless I had first met people who were doing it successfully. The guy that changed my way of thinking is quite interesting.

He's in his early forties, and spent his younger years (early 20's - early 30's) abusing his body with drugs, alcohol, toxic pollutants at work, and unhealthy foods. Long story short, he made the changes to avoid death, and has now been eating raw for 6 years.

However, he had a lot of trouble with that the first few years because he was eating regular, unorganic produce. The pesticides on them were making him sick. He found out about the wheatgrass and sunflower sprouts, the importance of using ocean water, and has been eating those two things almost exclusively for 2 years!

Funny thing is, he's far from weak and scrawny. He's well built, not puffed up, just strong and healthy. A living testiment that it works. There are a lot of vegetarians, vegans, and raw foodists that are weak and skinny, but... thats only because they neglect exercise.

In reality, exercise is more important than nutrition. That's hard for me to say, but its true. The equation is 60% exercise, 40% nutrition. Without exercise, all that great food isn't being used to its full potential.

That's enough for now. I'll check in later.

 

[abear]

Christian Finn wrote an article about this and went over almost 30 references relating to this issue. His conclusion:

The bottom line
Although some nutritionists will tell you to eat only raw fruit and vegetables, there is no evidence to show that a raw food diet offers any greater benefits than a diet containing both cooked and raw foods.

Several trials show a reduced risk of heart disease with 400-650 grams of fruit and vegetables daily. What's more, these beneficial effects were seen with fruits and vegetables of all kinds — fresh, canned, frozen, cooked, or raw — not just those consumed in their raw state.

Cooking serves several useful purposes. It sterilizes food by inactivating harmful bacteria that are found on many foods. It makes foods softer to chew and digest. And it also increases the activity of various phytochemicals, which are important for anyone who is healthy and wants to stay that way.

 

[R.Lewis]

Eating raw food works extremely well for people who want to be as healthy and strong as possible, be free of disease, and live a very long time.

Yeah, but you gotta have a balenced diet.
If you could become "as strong as possible" on a vegan diet how come all athletes are not veagans???

 

[Isopach]

Lets get things straight:

I'm not giving advice, just talking about what I do. You do what you want. No problem. I have no desire to convince anyone to turn to "The Green Side". As malkore would say: "More for me". Also, if my "advice" was dangerous, I'd be dead by now. The mental state required to accept the idea of raw food is out of reach for most people. And yes, I know that you're about to say I'm in an insane mental state. I'll just steal your words right now.

It is unfortunate that the vegetarian/vegan community has given themselves a bad image. Hippies, conspiracy theorists, and wierdos spouting extreme radical religious doctrines and displaying bizarre social behavior come to mind when most people hear about that kind of stuff. I fit none of that.

As for balance, that's a good point. Logically, only eating 2 things would seem unbalanced. I once thought so. In fact, I've said my whole life "I'll never give up meat!" Guess what... I did one day. The facts were crystal clear, and I stopped cold turkey (heh, and the rest of the meats too).

Then I heard about... RAW FOOD ONLY???! (That guy is straaaange...)

Less than a month later, another step forward in knowledge occurred, and another over night change. BAM! Raw food....

I'm still a little surprised, but not shocked. That's worn off by now. It's a serious challenge that I've committed too, regardless of how my peers and people I meet react. It's my body, and I'm going to take very good care of it. Their ignorance will not be my undoing.

My diet is very balanced, even though I lack variety (relatively speaking). It is balanced because my food has more minerals than anything else in existance. Few people understand the importance of minerals, and therefore it is understandable that this is being critisized.

Becoming "as strong as possible" on raw food is only possible if the athlete exercises properly. That is a completely different topic. The raw food simply provides more nutrients than conventional food, and many micronutrients that most foods lack altogether. Then, there is the issue of enzymes, and light energy.

Getting in pretty deep. Will talk later.

 

[R.Lewis]

Lets get things straight:
if my "advice" was dangerous, I'd be dead by now.

Well its only been 5months.

My diet is very balanced,

No its not.

even though I lack variety (relatively speaking). It is balanced because my food has more minerals than anything else in existance. Few people understand the importance of minerals, and therefore it is understandable that this is being critisized.

Its not just about minerals mate, you need vitamins, fats, protiens, etc...

Becoming "as strong as possible" on raw food is only possible if the athlete exercises properly. That is a completely different topic.

No its not, becoming as strong as possible comes from diet 1st, training second.

The raw food simply provides more nutrients than conventional food, and many micronutrients that most foods lack altogether. Then, there is the issue of enzymes, and light energy.

Sorry mate but thats BS. If you want more nutrients, then you should be adding it to a normal healthy diet. you can eat your food as well as other food so thats got nothing to do with it.

I dont really mind what you do to your body, I am arguing with you so that other people on this forum do not think that this is a good idea and hurt themselves trying it.

If you have any reliable txt or good books on this subject I will be more than happy to read them.
If I am wrong about this I will apologize, however I have never read anything by a sports pro or nutritianist saying that this is a good idea.

 

[malkore]

And let me clarify, I agree that a lot of foods should be eaten raw, like veggies, fruits...the less processing, the better.

But cooking meat, is not processing. It kills bacteria (when cooked hot enough/long enough) and it denatures the protein into a more usable state.

Now, if you burn the s*** out of a steak, there are claims that increases free radicals, and ups carcinogens in the area of burnt meat.
but that simply means you should burn your meat to a crisp, simply heat it enough to kill any possible nasties, and beyond that cooked to your desired doneness.

The science to back 'raw diet' as superior just isn't there...evidence is anecdotal at best.

I've seen a story on a man who eats only rotten food. Literally. He'll take a jar of hardboiled eggs and put them on his porch for 2 weeks, then start eating them. Meat, veggies...everything he ate was rotten beyond what anyone would consider safe or tastey.

His 'logic' was that he was building up an immunity to these pathogens by dining on them 'cautiously'. Science to back it up? Naw!

 

[Isopach]

Ok, you're right. Where is my proof?

I'm not certified in anything regarding this, and neither are any of the people I've met that are doing it. They're just well informed, and so am I.

However, here is some reading for you. Its a free e-Book, called How to Build Muscle on a Raw Food Diet. Its the 8th item on the page.

A short read too, so no big loss if you find it to be bogus. To be honest, I'm not interested in arguing with you. I'd rather talk to people who have sincere questions, not criticism. Trying to prove a point is a waste of my time. I know where I'm going. Your destination, or anyone elses' for that matter, is no concern of mine. If I have a positive influence along the way, bonus. If not, no sweat.

 

[abear]

The raw food simply provides more nutrients than conventional food, and many micronutrients that most foods lack altogether. Then, there is the issue of enzymes, and light energy.

These are just words, where are the facts to support this?

 

[Isopach]

I could say the same for the stuff you eat.

 

[R.Lewis]

not really, the diets we follow had scientific research to back them up.

Ask a question about our diets and we will be able to answer it, and back it up with a refference.

 

[starinsky]

I'm vegan. I am because of my health, economical issues and mostly ethical reasons. i love animals too much to eat them. I see meat and it just seems so repulsive. i don't believe that we were meant to necessarily be carnivores or omnivores. The nation sure does seem to be having a lot of problems with eating meat. And recently more and more we are being told to eat more whole grains, fruit and veggies. Not more meat.

 

[malkore]

Our nation has a problem with portion control, and eating highly refined, highly processed carbs. We pride ourselves on being able to finish a 32oz steak at dinner (btw that's about 1,800 calories of steak), its "manly".

protein is found in more than just meat..milk, dairy, eggs, protein powder...granted that's not on the vegan menu, but its fact.

USRDA isn't exactly the best source for nutrition information either. they don't do much research...they just look at a narrow scope of other people's research and then set MINIMUM guidelines for what is "healthy".

Its a proven fact the American Heart Associations original low fat diet didn't work...that in fact a diet with more fat, mostly healthy omega 3 fats, actually lowered bad cholesterol and increased good cholesterol....their original low fat, no red meat diet...actually lowered good cholesterol and left bad cholesterol almost untouched.

Don't look to the government, or some 'guy' with a wild hair up his butt when it comes to cutting edge nutritional information. The government takes 10 years to decide on any change, and the 'guy' has no research to back his claims up, and usually has a deeper agenda being pushed (e.g. don't eat animals no matter how delicious they are).

As to whether we're omnivores or not...if we weren't meant to eat meat, why do we have teeth designed for eating meat? A digestive system designed to digest meat?

 

[MilitantGeek]

As to whether we're omnivores or not...if we weren't meant to eat meat, why do we have teeth designed for eating meat? A digestive system designed to digest meat?

/applause Every vegan I run across seems to disregard this point, but it's a stark fact, the canines (sharp teeth up front) serve one purpose, to cut through flesh, while the molars handle the grinding/mashing needed for consumption of fruit, veggies, etc.

Here's another biological fact for you. Eye placement has a lot to do with whether an animal is a predator or prey. If prey, the eyes are set wide apart, near the edge of the face, to provide for better periphial (sp?) vision to avoid predators.

If an animal is predatory, the eyes are closer in, focusing forwards. Why? Because a predator doesn't need to watch out for predators, it needs to focus in on its kill. Which one are we? And how many vegan predators do you see in the wild?

And finally, if we aren't supposed to eat the animals, why are they made of meat? (okay, so that last point is silly, sue me)

 

[Chris.D]

i don't believe that we were meant to necessarily be carnivores or omnivores.

Thankfully, evolution doesn't give a **** what you believe. This thread is hilarious in a disturbing kind of way. I hope no one reading this actually takes the advice of the thread starter seriously.

 

[Isopach]

Hey Chris, you're missing something. I've already made it very clear that I offer no advice. Just telling you about what I do.

To be honest, its a good thing most people disregard this. If too many caught on to the truth, demand for the best food would skyrocket, and I'd be in trouble!

I didn't start this thread to pick a fight or argue. Just to share some knowledge, and talk to those like-minded.

On the predator issue, yeah we got canines. So? They rip through veggies just as good as meat. Their purpose is crushing. Incisors cut, and molars grind. They are hardly an excuse to eat meat. Not that you need one. I don't forbid eating meat. Most of my buddies eat meat, and bug me constantly about my choices. No harm done.

The digestive tract of carnivores are very short compared to herbivores. That is because meat cannot stay in the digestive system very long without causing problems, because it rots very quickly. It is also a very heavy burden on your gut, because it's not easily digested. The value it offers is good, but can be found elsewhere.

For most people, going vegan is not a requirement for health. It is necessary if you want to live exceptionally long. Even then, the diet alone will not sustain you. Your exercise regimen bares greater weight in your health. A good example is convicts. They are fed the lowest quality junk the system will provide, they work out all day, and are in great shape (externally).

I know that their are people who live ridiculously long, and even have very unhealthy habits while doing so. They are few and far between, and I'm not willing to take the chance that I'm one of them.