Raw | Vegan | over weight? The Sweet Truth

[Guest guest]

I also agree that there are more issues to being overweight than simple

nutrition. The

primary truth is in how we treat ourselves. It is sometimes difficult to get

through our day

without a comfort food. The reality is how compassionate we are with ourselves

in our

choices. The nutrition information is just there to show us our options. Fad

diets are

everywhere, but no diet compares with the spiritual and physical bliss one can

experience

by choosing raw vegan foods as much as possible.

 

Some of the more practical truths I have found while exploring my relationship

with food

are the facts about sugar. Here they are as they apply to the raw vegan: 1)

Sweet fruit,

natural sweeteners (except stevia), root vegetables, and juices all have

extremely high

sugar content. 2) Sugar in any form becomes glucose very quickly in the

bloodstream. 3)

Whole sweet fruit becomes glucose slower because it includes the fiber. 3)

Higher

glucose levels cause stored fat and lead to inflammation which is the

precondition for

heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Spiking the levels of glucose repeatedly

over time by

eating lots of sweet foods or " treats " without an active lifesyle is

problematic.

 

Whole fruit are great to eat, but even Paul Nison recommends eating whole fruit

only when

you are active because of the high sugar content. Being active can mean doing

some

gardening or walking. It does not have to mean vigorous exercise. The idea is

to avoid

sugary foods if you are not active. Many of us spend all day at a computer.

Much of the

sugar just gets stored as fat when we are at rest. Also avoid sugary or high

fat foods late

at night when the body is ready for sleeping.

 

Watermelon cleanses are a special category of eating for the raw vegan. Other

fruit juice

cleanses and fruit cleanses are different than regular consistent eating

guidlines. A

watermelon cleanse is best done in the morning and the juiced peeled rind is

important to

include along with the flesh, this according to Ann Wigmore Institute. The

person should

wait at least an hour before the next meal. Fruit cleanses and juice fasts can

be done as

well, but these are special occasions for cleaning out the body. Some do very

well with

fruit cleanses, while others do much better with green drinks or a master

cleanse of water

with lemon, agave, and cayenne.

 

Don't get me wrong. Fruit is an amazing part of the raw vegan world, as are

some natural

sweeteners. I do use agave for instance. A small amount of agave really helps

an asian

dressing. But I also know that if I slice up some apple in my salad, then I

will not need

nearly as much agave, often none at all. Limiting sweets from my plan has been

one of

the most important dietary breakthroughs in my life, even more important the raw

food. I

hope it helps you too.

 

~one love~

 

Michael Lotus Loveflower