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4 Ways to Improve the Mainstream Raw Food Diet

by Swayze

Last week, I reviewed an essay on evolution and the human diet and concluded with 4 main ways to improve the modern human diet:

  1. Eliminate Salt Intake
  2. Eliminate Grains and Replace with Fruits and Vegetables, with an emphasis on sweet fruit
  3. Exercise Everyday
  4. Limit Fat Intake

You can find the rest of the article here.

Unfortunately, modern Americans with their SAD diet are not the only ones guilty of ignoring the lifestyle points above. Many health conscious individuals and their so-called nutritious diets fail as well.

For instance, vegans are known for eating tons of grain-based meals coupled with staggering levels of salt and oil. And while many vegans don’t struggle with hyperadiposity, there is definitely no shortage of under-muscled veg-heads.

But what about RAW vegans? Well, it seems that there is much room for improvement amongst this special class of health hobbyists as well.

Salt

The average raw foodist eats too much salt, as well as other spices and condiments. Here’s a raw soup recipe I found while scouring the web:

  • South River unpasteurized miso
  • Tomato concentrate by Premier Research
  • Hijiki
  • Goji Berries
  • Hemp Seeds
  • Raw Honey
  • Sea Salt (pink himalayan salt is a great option)
  • Other seaweed (optional)
  • Nutritional flakes (optional)
  • Agaricus mushroom powder (optional)

Can this really be considered a recipe? It seems to be made up of flavorings, rather than actual nutritious food.

Grains Over Fruits and Vegetables

You would think that most raw foodists would naturally favor ripe fruits and veggies over difficult to digest grains.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Many cooked-made-raw recipes, like burgers, wraps, and pizzas, use sprouted grains.

Here’s an example of a raw pizza:

  • 400g sprouted wheat (or sprouted buckwheat)
  • 2 medium fresh tomatoes
  • ½ a medium sized onion
  • 6-8 sundried tomato halves (ideally pre-soaked)
  • About 10 leaves of fresh basil
  • Liberal shaking of Italian dried herbs mix
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ⅓ cup of olive oil

And while many mainstream raw foodists do eat good amounts of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc., they put WAY too little emphasis on sweet fruit. Some even shun fruit completely!

For more on the problem with eating grains, check out my article here.

Exercise

I don’t know what it is, but mainstream raw food vegans seem to HATE to exercise…not including meditation and low-intensity yoga, of course. ;)

Actually I DO know why: they don’t eat enough calories! It’s impossible to find the energy to work up a good sweat when you’re living on heavy fats and low-calorie veggies.

This is why it’s so common to see super skinny, yet still over-fat and under-muscled raw foodists.

Fat

Here’s the big one: raw foodists eat way too many avocados, nuts, seeds, and oils. They’re used in salads, soups, salsas, sauces, and even sweet desserts!

ESPECIALLY the desserts! Here are the ingredients for an almond cake recipe:

  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 2/3 cup almonds
  • 1 cup pitted, packed medjool dates
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

And that doesn’t include the almond creme…

  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1/3 cup almond milk
  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 -2 teaspoons pure almond extract
  • 2 tablespoons chopped almonds

…or the whipped creme…

  • 3/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/2 cup cashews
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 3 tablespoons cacao powder
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons carob powder
  • Seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean
  • Pinch celtic sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons melted cacao butter
  • 1 tablespoons coconut oil

…that go along with it.

Holy Cannoli! :shock:

No wonder so many raw foodists have issues with candida overgrowth.

Raw Rules for Everyone

So yea, unfortunately cooked food lovers are NOT the only ones guilty of dietary sin. But that’s okay, because you definitely don’t have to follow the trend:

  1. Eliminate Salt Intake
  2. Eliminate Grains and Replace with Fruits and Vegetables, with an emphasis on sweet fruit
  3. Exercise Everyday
  4. Limit Fat Intake

No matter what your current diet, you will see tremendous health gains by adopting the 4 guidelines above.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. You’ve probably also noticed how most raw recipe books out there follow this same unhealthy pattern: lots of salt and other spices and condiments, lots of fat, grains and low-calorie veggies over sweet fruits.

Not this one:

Low Fat, Fruit Filled, High Fun Raw Recipes

P.P.S. And yes, the unhealthy recipes I talked about in this post actually exist on popular raw food websites (I’m sure you’ve seen many just like them). I didn’t want to put anyone out by linking to the websites while bashing their recipes!

15 comments

1 Ellen { 07.12.10 at 6:35 AM }

Good stuff, Swayze. And sweet fruit tastes so amazing! And it truly loves me back! Salt, grains, and fats pale in comparison…

2 Dave { 07.12.10 at 7:16 AM }

Hi Swayze,

I have a fruit problem/question..

I went low-fat raw vegan for 3 months recently and I really love fruit but here is my problem.. I get stomach pains whenever I eat too much fruit. Lets say when I get above 5 bananas or 1/4 of a watermelon. So I am coping with low energy and tiredness because I can’t eat enough at a time to keep me satisfied. I have been eating steamed vegetables nearly everyday for the last 2 weeks – and the strange thing is that I eat enough to feed 4 people with no stomach pains.. I don’t get it. Like I said I love fruit but I am 6ft2 and do a physical job so it is upsetting to think I cannot keep it up if I can’t eat enough fruit:0(

Have you had any experience with anyone having a similar problem? By the way it seems to be worse in the morning..

Would be grateful if you had any advice..

Thankyou

Swayze Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 7:26 AM

Hi Dave,

I have 2 pieces of advice for you: 1) Try drinking water 10 minutes before you have your fruit meal and 2) Start slow by having fruit for breakfast and your other two meals can be whatever you like. Once you are comfortable with breakfast and are getting in enough calories for that meal, then you can move on to having fruit for lunch and finally for dinner as well. Oh, and stick with the high-calorie stuff like bananas, grapes, mangoes, dates, etc.

Hope that helps! :)

Dave Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 7:43 AM

Thanks for the reply..

I have been eating mostly fruit since March, but because of the volume situation I am constantly eating or thinking about food. I’ll definitely try the water before eating.

Thanks again:0)

3 Marisa { 07.12.10 at 7:58 AM }

Dave, I have the same problem that you do, but it’s a weird pain and goes to my chest and arms too. Only when I eat too much fruit at one time… so what I’ve been doing is splitting up my meals into two, so for instance, instead of having 1/2 watermelon in one sitting, I’ll have 1/4 and then finish the rest a couple of hours later. Seems to work for me, but I would love to know why I get those pains too…if I eat a huge cooked meal nothing happens, so I don’t think it’s the volume.

Dave Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 8:05 AM

Heya Marisa,

How annoying is it that it only happens with the best food on earth?! Mine feels like it is sitting right under my solarplexus but above my stomach. I have an iron gut for anything else. Maybe it has something to do with the water content? I don’t know but I get jealous when I hear about people having 12-18 banana smoothies!

Thanks for the reply:0)

Marisa Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 11:31 AM

I hear ya! It is quite annoying that it happens with the best food we could be eating! And yes, I do get jealous when I hear people able to eat so much more without a problem. Especially with melons, since I love them so much!

Swayze Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 9:00 AM

Many people have problems specifically with melon (myself included). I don’t know of anyone who can actually make a full meal of it because it’s very low in calories. That’s why I only eat it for my dinner fruit meal when I don’t need as many calories.

I rarely ever eat watermelon because sometimes I have a weird reaction with my back. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like the food is going down my back when I swallow. It’s very unpleasant. Good thing I much prefer cantaloupe and honeydew melon anyway! :)

Marisa Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 12:50 PM

Thanks for the info. Swayze! I think I might try your suggestion of having the melon for my dinner fruit meal. What do you suggest for a good breakfast meal ?

Swayze Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 3:16 PM

Any fruit that you can make an entire meal of and still feel satiated 3-5 hours later is perfect.

Many people advocate starting with a juicy fruit, but I don’t think this is a great idea. Breakfast is a good time to get in lots of calories and eating lower calorie juicy fruits (e.g. melon, peaches, oranges, etc.) makes this difficult do.

I much prefer starting the day off with about 1 liter of water, followed by exercise, more water, and then bananas for breakfast. This way, I get the best of both worlds: hydrating water and fueling calories! :)

4 Peter { 07.12.10 at 9:07 AM }

Swayze. You have a great website. Thank you.
I’m enjoying and benefiting from the diet but do sometimes cheat a bit.

5 Joan { 07.12.10 at 9:15 AM }

Interesting information…thanks for sharing!

6 NARESH MADAN { 07.16.10 at 6:17 AM }

hi,
How much total quantiy in kg. appox. be consumed daily in 2/3 times eating (fruits+vegetables+nuts+water if any
taking in account solid & liquid requiement for body.
regards,
Naresh

7 Ellen { 07.16.10 at 8:00 AM }

You might find this vid helpful:
http://www.30bananasaday.com/video/801010-daily-sample-menu?xg_source=activity

8 NARESH MADAN { 07.17.10 at 6:39 AM }

Hi Ellen ,
thanks,
Naresh