Raw foods diet?!
Answers: I heard this was great for constipation and just for your general health. Does anyone have any menu ideas?
I suggest finding some raw food books.
When I'm raw, I drink a lot of green smoothies, sometimes have salads, and I usually make quite a few of the more "elaborate" meals, like pesto-stuffed mushrooms, zucchini "pasta" with garlic sauce, a raw "tuna", a macadamia nut based "egg salad", and so on.
There are tons of raw recipes online.
Regarding your health and constipation, YES. It will totally help. You'll probably feel better (lighter, better moods), look better (skin clearing, glowing, etc), you may or may not lose weight (I don't), you'll poop more naturally (meaning a few times a day, and easily. yea yea, TMI.)
After being raw for a few weeks I noticed handling extreme temperatures much better. I didn't feel too hot or cold as easily. I've always been a moody person and my moods stabilized and it took a lot more to irritate or upset me.
I was raw for almost half a year last year, then i've been on and off, mostly off, for the past year. I definitely know ideally I'll return to it. It's a journey, though. The more you give into cravings, the more you crave them. It's harder with cold weather for me. It's much easier in the summer (for me) since I live in a 4-season state & there are an abundance of fruits in the warmer seasons, and merely the staples during the colder ones.
It definitely helps with constipation.
Do a little shopping before going on a raw foods diet and splurge a little- buy some luscious or exotic fruit. Apple slices dipped in raw almond butter. Carrot, radishes and celery sticks dipped in guacamole make a nice lunch. Salad dressing made out of tahini-ginger dressing. Lots of smoothies with bananas and frozen fruits- I use raw juice instead of milk or yogurt. Raw juices- fruit and veggie. Lemon or lime in your water helps.
Don't worry if it seems like you are snacking a lot- that is natural. I also recommend not eating more than 1/4-1/3 cup of nuts a day.
I was only 100% raw for about a month, but I did really like it. It can be a challenge. Be prepared to really change your habits, if you grew up like most Americans. I felt wonderful while I was raw. I wish I had the willpower to have stayed 100%, but I love some of my cooked favorites too much! Maybe some day...
I can say, though, that I've maintained some really positive results by sticking to a few raw habits that you might try out first to see if it's the right diet for you.
- On most days I eat only fruit in the mornings till about 11:00. Instead of eating a big plate of fruit I cut up a few pieces (like a pear and an apple and a few grapes) and nibble throughout the morning. This keeps me feeling very hydrated and "light", plus, my body isn't bogged down digesting some big meal so I have a lot of energy.
- Before a cooked meal I try to eat a salad before eating anything else. It gets my digestion flowing and fills me up with healthy food before I eat the junk (which is how I've come to think of most cooked food now - it's amazing how your idea of food changes after reading up on the raw theories).
- I don't eat fruit AFTER a meal. I try not to eat fruit anywhere close to any other food. I really notice a difference if I do - heart burn and my food sits like a rock in my stomach. I always thought "food combining" was hippie mumbo jumbo, but I have tried it myself and I'm definitely a convert (Google FOOD COMBINING if you're not familar with the "rules").
- I incorporate more raw foods into my cooked meals. For example, if I'm making pasta I'll make my own sauce by blending fresh tomatoes, basil, oil, onions, and other spices in a blender just till it's warm, then I toss it with the hot pasta. Or better yet, I make cold pasta salad and then toss it with raw bruschetta. There are quite a few raw recipes I still use even though I don't consider myself to be a raw foodist. Every bit of whole, natural food helps. That's the way I see it.
If you're interested in a raw diet, you should give it a try! It's definitely a fun challenge to try it out for a while. You'll feel good, for sure, and yes, you will poop wonderfully! There's tons of websites out there. Browse around and I bet you get so curious you can't help but give it a try to see for yourself.
I agree with the other person that food combining is very important, vegetarian, raw, vegan, meat eater, or whatever.
Seems that talking to people from other countries, most people are brought up knowing that you do not eat certain foods with other foods etc. because of the obvious indigestion that occurs. But it seems that people in N. American just ignore their indigestion as a result of what they ate and how they ate it.
Two good places to find out more:
www.thegardendiet.com
www.rawfamily.com