Raw Vegan but still overweight? Sugar & Fat - which is worse when eaten too much

[Guest guest]

Hi Nancy,

 

Thanks for the clarification. True, not all fruits are created equal when it

comes to sugar

content. Better to eat an orange than to drink one, I guess. Its important to

clarify that

whole fruit are generally very good to eat on a raw vegan plan. They are a

wonderful part

of a raw vegan lifestyle. I eat bananas everyday, but almost always with leafy

greens in a

smoothie or before or after a salad. I like peeled green apple slices or pear

in my salad.

Green apple is a good choice because of the lower sugar content. I will eat

fruit alone only

when I am active or doing some kind of physical stuff or intentionally as part

of a fruit

cleanse.

 

I was recommending the idea that sweeter fruits in particular are best eaten in

combination with some kind of leafy green. The leafy green helps neutralize the

sugar

and slow its transformation to glucose. But this is a minor detail for the raw

fooder who is

already eating well. The overweight can really benefit from closely watching

their sugar

intake.

 

Fats like nuts and oils can definitely be a problem too if quantities get out of

control.

Again, leafy greens and veggies are great to combine with fats as part of a

meal. The fat

may be an avocado or a nut pate, but this could be a small percentage of the

entire meal.

I agree that its best to avoid eating too much of these oils and nuts on a

regular basis.

 

A little fat goes a long way, so its pretty easy to keep it in check. My

favorite fat is

avocado. I try to keep oils in dressings to a minimum, but I do prefer raw

tahini which has

a lot of fat and is a little acid forming. Seems fine though as part of a

salad.

 

I've noticed that coconut water and coconut meat are great if I am active, but

very heavy if

I am sedentary sitting at the computer staying indoors. This is true of sweet

fruit too. I

love eating the sweeter fruits when I am active. But keep in mind that the

overwieght are

usualy not as active, so they may benefit greatly from a diet tailor made for a

sedentary

lifestyle. Some people are overweight and they do not eat enough. They run

around all

day and stress out instead of eating small amounts all day long. These types of

overweight people experience a serious shut down in their metabolism, then they

eat a

comfort food, often nuts or something sweet in the evening.

 

A sumo wrestler eats twice a day. Once in the day followed by a long nap. Once

at night

followed by a long sleep. This a quick way to gain weight. Eat a high fat,

high sugar diet.

Eat twice a day and eat a lot per sitting. Then sleep directly after eating.

This is a sure fire

way to gain weight.

 

The sweeter juices like orange, carrot, beet, red apple and the like are more

problematic

than whole fruit because we lose the fiber when they are juiced. People don't

realize how

sensitive they can be to these natural sugars. An overweight person really can

make a lot

of headway if they take an honest look at how much sugar is being consumed in

the

course of a day in the form of juices and sweeteners...True, they can also do a

lot of good

by watching the intake of nuts and fats. However, I have to admit that my own

weight loss

of 50 lbs had little to do with fats. I ate plenty of avocado! I was, however,

very aware of

the amount of nuts I consumed. I ate nuts everyday, but only a small amount.

 

Few can dispute the fact that limiting or eliminating sugar in all forms can

dramatically

help the body get into its most balanced form. Anything more than even moderate

sugar

intake disrupts the balance for most who are overweight. Almost everyone who is

overweight will shed pounds if they significantly cut down on sugary foods. And

its very

helpful to include lots of leafy greens along the way.

 

You mentioned fats too which are also extremely important. But I still think

sugar wins

the grand prize for the one substance that can spiral out of control. Its also

the one

substance that seems to rule this culture.

 

Many raw foodists do not look healthy and it is my belief that this is due to a

high sugar

diet and lack of exercise. Other raw foodists eat plenty of fruit, but remain

active. They

glow with amazing health and vitality.

 

If someone is not super active, I think they may want to watch their intake of

sweet fruit

and see how they feel. Fat is another one that can get out of control, but its

easier to keep

it in check. Pay attention to sugar intake on a regular basis. Combining

sugary fruits with

greens is a wonderful way to maintain balance.

 

~Michael

 

 

 

 

, <pnparlette wrote:

>

> The majority of what Michael has said here is accurate EXCEPT for the

> advice to cut way down on fruit.

> Big mistake. You can't be a healthy raw fooder on minimal fruit. Fruit

> is processed differently because it is live, it is a WHOLE food (has

> vit, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, water, protein, even a little fat,

> and FIBER). The fiber helps it to absorb more slowly. Fructose does

> NOT cause the same insulin surge that other sugars do (that's what I

> learned in Biochemistry). The BIG issue for raw fooders who can't lose

> weight is the over consumption of fats, particularly olive oil and raw

> nuts. Better to cut those out and keep eating the fruit. I've been a

> raw fooder for almost 6 years and I've consulted with Dr. Douglas

> Graham, Dr. Joel Robbins and others. The high fat levels in the blood

> stream clog the arteries causing the red blood cells to stick together

> and get sluggish (so less Oxygen getting to your cells) and the fat also

> blocks the insulin receptor sites (so the insulin can't carry the

> glucose off to the cells to make energy) so that the sugar stays in the

> arteries which causes the blood sugar level to rise so more and more

> insulin is pumped out - ie you become insulin resistant. When you cut

> out the high fat then after a few days the arteries are cleaned out and

> you can eat fruit with out problems. However, you do need to stay away

> from all the refined processed sweeteners/foods because they DO just

> what Michael said.

>

> Nancy

> (currently working on her masters degree in nutrition)

>

>

> <file:///D:/Images/businesscard.gif>

>

> www.healthylivingstrategies.net

> <http://www.healthylivingstrategies.net/>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the elaboration Michael. Great comments, especially on the benefit of mixing greens in with fruits and fats. Right ON! I'm an avocado lover too. I generally eat 1/2 of one a day, but other than some occasional nuts or seeds that is my main source of fat. I have a large number of food allergies (which is how I got into raw food eating) which include olive oil, canola, and cod oils; most nuts, coconut, and durian also leave me feeling bad - yet I need my good fats, so I thank God for avocado!

 

The other reason I believe many rawfooders don't look healthy is because they just don't get enough calories. If you are getting enough whole food calories then you'll automatically be getting enough protein. We need glucose to make energy, protein to build and repair and fats to deliver fat soluble vitamins and minerals, for our hormones, brain and nerve function and to help hold our cells together, etc. We must have a wide variety of all three macro nutrients (carbs, proteins, and fats) to stay healthy. As raw fooders our best source of glucose and vitamins is fruit (mixed with the greens for minerals and slower absorption), so we need a lot more than most of us think in order to get enough calories otherwise we do stay too thin. So many people also have digestive problems which cause malabsorption so it is harder for us to get enough nutrients. That's why I'm doing nutritional counseling, I want to help people get as healthy as they can.

Nancy

 

 

 

 

www.healthylivingstrategies.net

 

 

On Behalf Of bossalingoSunday, May 27, 2007 8:43 PM Subject: Raw Vegan but still overweight? Sugar & Fat - which is worse when eaten too much

 

Hi Nancy, Thanks for the clarification. True, not all fruits are created equal when it comes to sugar content. Better to eat an orange than to drink one, I guess. Its important to clarify that whole fruit are generally very good to eat on a raw vegan plan. They are a wonderful part of a raw vegan lifestyle. I eat bananas everyday, but almost always with leafy greens in a smoothie or before or after a salad. I like peeled green apple slices or pear in my salad. Green apple is a good choice because of the lower sugar content. I will eat fruit alone only when I am active or doing some kind of physical stuff or intentionally as part of a fruit cleanse. I was recommending the idea that sweeter fruits in particular are best eaten in combination with some kind of leafy green. The leafy green helps neutralize the sugar and slow its transformation to glucose. But this is a minor detail for the raw fooder who is already eating well. The overweight can really benefit from closely watching their sugar intake. Fats like nuts and oils can definitely be a problem too if quantities get out of control. Again, leafy greens and veggies are great to combine with fats as part of a meal. The fat may be an avocado or a nut pate, but this could be a small percentage of the entire meal. I agree that its best to avoid eating too much of these oils and nuts on a regular basis. A little fat goes a long way, so its pretty easy to keep it in check. My favorite fat is avocado. I try to keep oils in dressings to a minimum, but I do prefer raw tahini which has a lot of fat and is a little acid forming. Seems fine though as part of a salad. I've noticed that coconut water and coconut meat are great if I am active, but very heavy if I am sedentary sitting at the computer staying indoors. This is true of sweet fruit too. I love eating the sweeter fruits when I am active. But keep in mind that the overwieght are usualy not as active, so they may benefit greatly from a diet tailor made for a sedentary lifestyle. Some people are overweight and they do not eat enough. They run around all day and stress out instead of eating small amounts all day long. These types of overweight people experience a serious shut down in their metabolism, then they eat a comfort food, often nuts or something sweet in the evening. A sumo wrestler eats twice a day. Once in the day followed by a long nap. Once at night followed by a long sleep. This a quick way to gain weight. Eat a high fat, high sugar diet. Eat twice a day and eat a lot per sitting. Then sleep directly after eating. This is a sure fire way to gain weight. The sweeter juices like orange, carrot, beet, red apple and the like are more problematic than whole fruit because we lose the fiber when they are juiced. People don't realize how sensitive they can be to these natural sugars. An overweight person really can make a lot of headway if they take an honest look at how much sugar is being consumed in the course of a day in the form of juices and sweeteners...True, they can also do a lot of good by watching the intake of nuts and fats. However, I have to admit that my own weight loss of 50 lbs had little to do with fats. I ate plenty of avocado! I was, however, very aware of the amount of nuts I consumed. I ate nuts everyday, but only a small amount. Few can dispute the fact that limiting or eliminating sugar in all forms can dramatically help the body get into its most balanced form. Anything more than even moderate sugar intake disrupts the balance for most who are overweight. Almost everyone who is overweight will shed pounds if they significantly cut down on sugary foods. And its very helpful to include lots of leafy greens along the way. You mentioned fats too which are also extremely important. But I still think sugar wins the grand prize for the one substance that can spiral out of control. Its also the one substance that seems to rule this culture. Many raw foodists do not look healthy and it is my belief that this is due to a high sugar diet and lack of exercise. Other raw foodists eat plenty of fruit, but remain active. They glow with amazing health and vitality. If someone is not super active, I think they may want to watch their intake of sweet fruit and see how they feel. Fat is another one that can get out of control, but its easier to keep it in check. Pay attention to sugar intake on a regular basis. Combining sugary fruits with greens is a wonderful way to maintain balance. ~Michael