Dates (WAS: not bananas over bananas)

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Nora Lenz Wednesday, July 13, 2005 6:19 PM Re:

[Rawschool] Dates (WAS: not bananas over bananas)

 

<<< " Regarding dates, there is just a lot of misunderstanding. It is indeed

true that dates have lower water content than other fruits -- about 20-25%

water, vs. 70% for bananas and 85-95% for most other fruits. But this in no

way makes them a less viable food "

 

Hi Elchanan,

I can't seem to find my original post but I don't believe I said dates

were less " viable " as a food source, I said they should be eaten in

moderation. Their relative lack of water makes it easy for new raw fooders

to overeat on them, providing these individuals with far more food value

than they can realistically expend. Because of their very concentrated and

dense nature, dates are appealing as replacements for cooked sweets and for

this reason there is a tendency among new raw fooders to rely too heavily on

them, and eat them to excess.

In addition, I wouldn't necessarily characterize the quantity of dates

that you eat (5-15/day), Elchanan, as exceeding " moderation " , especially for

a long-term, successful raw fooder.

Nora

_____

Hi Nora,

I couldn't find your original post, either, so I was working from memory.

Now as I read the above, I am reminded that this is indeed what you

originally wrote. Of course, it's nice to clarify the term " moderation. "

 

I do not understand what is meant, by you here or by several others, in

saying that dates are " too concentrated. " Dates are high in simple fuel

(sugar), potassium, and fiber, and low in most other things.

 

From my experience and that of others, one of the primary reasons new RFs

fail is that they do not consume NEARLY enough calories, and then within a

few days or weeks, they experience explosive cravings, ending up face-down

in a pizza or the like.

 

Furthermore, there is a tendency for new RFs, particularly given the

plethora of raw recipes " out there, " to indulge in massive quantities of

high-fat foods, which leads to malnutrition on top of any caloric

deficiency.

 

So with some, but not all, I find that having them eat a few hundred

calories a day as dates -- which would generally be within my 5-15 range,

they can fill in some of those missing calories and help stave off cravings.

For some, this does not work, for some it is transitional, for some

long-term, depending upon their lifestyle, activity level, and just plain

depending upon how well they like dates.

 

So I think we are in full agreement, only speaking from two different

vantage points.

 

Best to all,

Elchanan

 

 

 

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