Over the last few months I have battled more and more with my animal consuming tendencies. With hit movies like Food Inc.
Eating lower on the food chain and munching grass fed beef, wild smoked salmon, and scrambling some organic, free range eggs every once in a while seems like a nice balance. But I wondered, ethics and economics aside, are the vegans and raw foodies onto something? Can you lose weight, gain energy, improve longevity, and keep your ripped physique by eating only plants and selling your stove?
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the raw food movement and what it entails here is the quick run down. Differing from pure veganism, raw foodists eat a diet made up of mainly sprouted nuts, seeds, fruits, veggies, and legumes. In order to maintain all vital nutrients of these delicious whole foods nothing is cooked above 115 degrees farenheit. A dehydrator and blender become necessities! This doesn’t mean animal products are completely taken off the menu though. I have seen some raw experts like Carol Alt incorporating raw milk, cheese, eggs and meats into recipes. As long as it’s raw and “alive” food it’s fair game.
As I began to experiment with adding more and more raw meals into my lifestyle I found myself questioning the logic behind this more extreme way of eating. I was seeing massive change in my body composition. A diet high in healthy fats and plant proteins, and low in grains had me shedding muscle mass and fat faster than I’d ever witnessed. Completely baffled (and excited!) I turned to a raw food expert and blogger friend of mine, Natalie Lussier, The Raw Food Witch. She specializes in helping her clients transition to a mainly raw diet.
Is raw for everyone? Will I have more energy? How does it compare to a Paleo or Primal diet? What about exercise? I wanted to pick her brain! Below is a quick interview we shot via Skype. I apologize in advance for the poor audio quality on my end. I was in a coffee shop using their sketchy wi-fi connection. I’m proud to say I now have internet at home!
Natalie and I had a blast chatting. We share very similar philosophies on nutrition and the importance of each person finding what works best for their body. Whether you have never thought about going raw or are a devotee to this vibrant way of life, I hope Natalie and I were able to diffuse any confusion and answer some questions for you. To read more about making the switch to raw food and the plethora of health benefits associated with eating “alive” food, visit her website TheRawFoodSwitch.com
Have you experimented with raw food? If so, what changes did you experience and how has it effected your diet at the moment? Lets discuss!
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Check out the “80-10-10″ low fat raw vegan diet! I’ve been eating this way for about 3 weeks now and it’s amaaazing! 30bananasaday.com too! =)
@Rex- thanks for the insight. What changes have you seen in your energy levels, body composition, etc?
Hey Amber! It’s awesome to read your insights as to why you’re interested in moving toward a more vegan / raw lifestyle.
It was fun doing the interview!
@Nathalie- so fun! we must collaborate again soon. I still have many questions, but I am loving how I feel and look
now days.
Where you say that under this diet you where shedding muscle mass and fat. Was that muscle mass actual definition from working out or something else? Because I am working hard on gaining muscle/strength and don’t want a way of eating that would jeopardize that.
@ Joshua- I did loose muscle mass, but that was also because I changed my workout routine. I was looking to slim down and lean up…atrophy some bulky, over developed muscle groups. There are a lot of resources out there for vegan and raw athletes. As well as a plethora of professional body builders and athletes that completely maintain their shape and thrive off a plant based diet. Brendan Brazier is an expert in the field of optimum performance on a plant based diet. Here is his http://www.brendanbrazier.com/ website and his acclaimed book on the subject is The Thrive Diet. Let me know what you think!
Ok, thanks. That clarifies it immensely. Some interesting info for me to read through, thanks. I don’t think I’ll be going to an only plant based diet anytime soon but always good to have alternatives.
I’ve been to two restaurants recently that offer “energetique” food (in Belgium). The first offered pork fillet served rare. It tasted like you’d imagine raw pork to taste.
The second was a Japanese restaurant that offered chicken sashimi, which didn’t taste of much, but had me worrying all night about food poisoning
Raw is good, but it has to be tasty, no? Or there’s no point.
@Matt- I completely agree. Interesting choices of rare meat..I’d be scared about food poisoning as well. What was the rest of the food like? And yes raw food needs to taste good! there are so many yummy recipes I have yet to try. Will have video up soon of some awesome recipes and concoctions I’m experimenting with.
@Joshua- it’s always good to have some perspective on food and scope your options. If anything my hopes are to get you all to experiment with different choices so you can figure out what gives you the most energy, etc. Everyone is has different needs and if meat is the need then so be it. Let’s just hope it’s organic and farm fresh!
Absolutely – food must taste good! If it didn’t taste good I wouldn’t be eating this way.
With raw food you can make tons of delicious dishes and even desserts. Who wouldn’t want that?!
Hey Amber! I highly recommend reading raw foodist David’s Wolfe’s book, The Sunfood Diet Success System. I heard him speak in Santa Barbara a few years ago. He has amazing advice and outstanding knowledge of raw food nutrition. I love your website by the way – very inspiring and motivating! Keep it up
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