The RAW Diet

[Coach Tran]

I have been going through many radical life changes toward self development and self knowledge since I started CST training. One of my radical changes is my diet which now is based on raw organic energized
foods which is in harmony with my core moral beliefs and philosophy of strength.

After I have reading "Eating For Beauty" www.eatingforbeauty.com and "The Sunfood Diet:Success System" www.davidwolfe.com by David Wolfe, I was impressed with its simple logic and decided I wanted to try out this diet. I didnt allow my previous prejudices and ideas to hinder me and I have been on this diet for about a month. I have felt a great sense of well being overall. l am lighter, stronger, and in harmony with my inner and out worlds. My mind, body, and spirit accepts this diet and it worked for me not only physically but as well as mentally and spiritually. This diet has allowed me to shift my paradigm of the world and universe in an unique manner, the inside out method.

It is a radical lifestyle change without a doubt and I would not force this diet on anyone but I do think the world would be better if everyone live on this diet. Regardless of your judgement or whatever diet you feel is right for you just remember to think consciously what you place inside your body and its overall effects to your inner world and outer world. The Chinese have a saying, "as you drink, think about its source." Likewise as you eat, think about its source. Ignorance is not an excuse, enligtenment is our goal.

[Scotty D.]

Bao Tran,

I feel you would still really benefit from looking into the 'Potatoes not Prozac' methods of dietetically effecting your Bio-Chemistry. I began the Sunfood Diet two and a half years ago, and I am still eating a raw plant food diet. However, I also have been incorporating the practices of Radiant Recovery, and for me it has made a big difference.

There are similarities between some raw diets and PnP recommendations. David Wolfe, and especially Dr.Gabriel Cousens, are recommending low-glycemic raw vegan diets, and although they do not address Sugar Sensitivity as does Kathleen DesMaisons, they both recommend adequate and sometimes high levels of protein for different person's bio-chemistry. I have definitly found that eating much larger portions of protein has given me a 'solidity' sensation within my body, that is especially useful in outmaneuvering my Fear-Reactivity and swinging the Kettlebell (and one day for swinging my Clubbells).

The big difference in my mind is the outlook on 'food', as opposed to nutrition. Someone can base their diet on awesome nutritional information and still choose very poor quality foods that may fit the caloric requirements/ratios of the nutritional info. And so, Radiant Recovery is using awesome nutritional information, and it can be used with most food-types to get results of great benefit, especially for Sugar Sensitive folks. My opinion is that the food recommendations in PnP are other than the best foods available. Folks like David Wolfe are really trying to choose the best foods, and using them accordingly to their own bio-chemistry. Radiant Recovery is a great way to eat a diet based on the average food available and use it to the utmost effect. In this age of information/computer age however, we really are able to choose the most mineralized, nutrient-dense, alkaline and pathogen-free foods from around the world and get them delivered right to our doorstep. So PnP works whether you use hemp seed or eggs, goji berries or turkey, maca or soy (a plant food, though I would say it is other than the best).

There has definitly been a great deal of 'vitality lost' with many people on raw plant food diets. We can empower this choice of lifestyle for those who desire it by incoporating the best information from the best resources out there, and that's definitly in here.

[Coach Tran]

Scott:

Thanks for the advice and input and I will check out the book. My diet is not only a physical experience, but an extension of my inner qualities and of my spiritual insight. When I eat I express what I like to manifest in this world and how much I love Mother Earth. I am pretty active than most people at my age and on this diet I have not lost energy or felt like crap. I highly doubt if I use common sense and the help of others that I will lose energy and fail at this diet. Currently I being helped by wondeful Raw Food experts within my area and I dont have a problem getting sun foods. I am surrounded by organic supermarkets and Live Food restaurants. The last thing I would like to write is that I do not have a food problem and I am not an addict for any kinds of foods. Hopefully I will contnue this diet unless I become too poor to purchase organic produces. LOL.

Your Friend in CST,
Bao

[Scott Sonnon]

Bao,

Our family eats similarly. Awareness of food is paramount to its utility from an energetic standpoint. Even locally produced organic produce eaten with the wrong 'attitude' can lower nutritive yield, at best, and become counter-productive at worst.

[Coach Tran]

Coach,

I totally agree with you about our mindset in preparing and eatting. I am glad that you are teaching or leading your family in the correcting mindset in diet. When I have my own tribe, I will do the same.

Your Friend in CST,
Bao

[Scott Sonnon]

Well, to be fair... we each teach one another in our family. My wife 'brought' me to nutrition and to being with our food. My daughter is like a mirror, since she too is sugar sensitive. But she's being reared with choices... and showing me by example that she prefers food that allow her biochemistry to be balanced.

[Coach Tran]

Coach,

Behind every great man is a better and more powerful lady.

[Jay76]

Foofighter

That raw diet, from rawfood.com. Not good I have done it..Stay away from it..believe me.

go to www.westonaprice.org if you want the best Nutrition to stay healthy.

[Scotty D.]

Jason,

The 'raw diet' is misleading to be called as such, since it is much more about choosing a very large category of food, from which many types of diets can be developed from. In my 2 1/2 years eating raw foods, I have gone through many different classes of what could be called 'raw food diets'. This has included an 80% sweet fruit phase, a Raw Warrior Diet phase, and more recently a Raw PnP phase. They all provided me with a great deal of energy, clarity, and positivity. I am enjoying the solidity I experience with PnP a great deal, though I still somtimes fast for 24h to expience both sides of the pendulum.

All non-domesticated animals on earth eat raw food. There is a great difference between the diet of a jaguar and an ostritch, yet they both eat the 'raw diet'. To try the Natural Hygeine approach, or the low-glycemic raw diet, or the low-fat raw diet, then someone may run into something that does not work for them. Raw foods by themselves are not the issue to be avoided, however, becoming unbalanced bio-chemically 'while' eating raw foods has indeed been a downfall for many folks.

In terms of the raw path espoused by rawfood.com, David Wolfe puts great emphasis on eating a very diverse range of foods and learning what macro-nutrition ratios work best for your own unique bio-chemical composition. The bio-chemical individuality understanding is in great part based on the research of Dr.Gabiel Cousens. If the 'raw diet' is not working for someone, it means they have not found the method by which to balance themself with raw foods. This requires personal commitment to making informed choices based on experience, broad understandings of diverse information, and accepting that each one of us is bio-chemically individual. Most people are unwilling (and albeit, unable) to make this commitment to their nutritional health, and so they blame 'the diet' for their shortcomings and move on to the next one.

And of course, eating 100% raw food is not going to be desirable, or even a choice, for everyone. It is best to eat those foods you enjoy and that also make you feel good. I just wanted to clarify that the 'raw diet' does work when it is desired and one accepts their own responsibility in making it work.

[Coach Tran]

Scott, thank you for your insight. I couldn't have written a better reply to Jason than you.

Jason, I would recommend you read "Nature's First Law: Raw Food Diet" by Arlin, Dini, and Wolfe. (www.rawfood.com) I personally have been on the raw diet 100 % for about a month and have no plans returning to cooked foods and man made junk products. I have lost 10 pounds of unwanted weight and like Scott I too feel a great deal of energy, clarity, and positivity. My CST training has not suffered nor weakened and each new session I am getting better and better. I do believe that cooked food is addictive, cooked foods are self destructive and cooked foods is poison. I am not preaching here and always lead by example. After reading the book and experience raw foods for yourself, it is up to you to decide what is ulimately the best. I know that many folks within my circle of influence who has noticed a radical change in me has been truly inspired to follow my path by reading the books which I recommended and at least trying raw foods at raw food restuarants in NYC.

Cheers,
Bao

[Jay76]

Jason, I would recommend you read "Nature's First Law: Raw Food Diet" by Arlin, Dini, and Wolfe.

I have read the book. Waste of time. I have done it. Those guys are like a cult. ONe cannot live on raw fruit and vegetables. Man needs meat. We are hunters. Chimpazees eat %30 meat. Also with fruit, veg, and insects. Sounds better to me. Chimps are much much closer to Man than Gorillia's are.. ..:)))))))....

Of course you can eat what you want. I can say this, since I have done the diet. Good Luck :))))

[rawmark]

Foo,

If you really want to get the most out of NFL, read the non-plagiarized book called Raw Eating by A.T. Hovanessian. He was an Iranian man decades ahead of his time and was imprisoned for his beliefs. His family was also murdered and tortured. Wolfe, Arlin and Dini took advantage of his book being in public domain, changed a few words here and there and renamed it to Nature's First Law while giving the original author no credit.

Now, as a twenty year vegan and two year raw foodist I can say you are on an awesome journey. I disagree with the warrior diet because I see no need to include animal products of any kind in our diets. If you go to the bible you will see that a raw, vegan diet was the original prescription. It was only after mankind disobeyed the Creator that our days were "numbered" to 120. Now, how many folks do you know that live to be 120? Very Few. Normal Walker, who was a pioneer for raw foods, lived well into his nineties.

More and more health problems can be found with cooking foods and the diseases associated with consuming animals are endless. Virtually all breathing disorders can be associated with the consumption of dairy. Researchers are discovering that virtually every cancer is connected with the body's rejection of animal products.

That said, you are on a wonderful journey and I hope you stick with it. Just be careful who you choose to listen to. NFL will tell you about all the expensive supplements you need to buy. Ha! I do use E3 Live, Maca Powder, Yerba Mate and hemp seed protein. Also, acai power, from whole foods, blended in with my smoothies.

Also, I am not a natural hygienist and am not an advocate. There are many types of raw foodists, many that aren't vegan, and you must find which one balances and complements your lifestyle. Yes, I have a ktec blender, greenstar 3000 juicer, excalibur dehydrator and I use them all. I bought best because I want to create the highest quality food for me. Feel free to email me if I provide you with any support.

Peace,

Mark

[Coach Tran]

Mark,

I admire your belief system and the your way of life. I am no longer a Raw foodist. It didnt fit my life style and my cycle. I do support and buy organic produces and meats. I do eat raw foods in the day and cooked foods at night. Everyone has the right to choose how to live and what to eat. Diet is a personal act of transforming matter into lifeforce. How or why this happen is up for the individual to seek out for themselves. Be well. Thank you for your kind words and information.

[imported_siameeser]

What an interesting and timely thread. I've been changing my diet over the past years in an effort to control the pain associated with IBS, to support organic farming and to support humane and healthy animal treatment.

Since recently finding a local farmer I could "cowshare" with, I now have access to reasonably priced grass fed raw milk, butter, yogurt, cheese, grass fed beef and pasture raised chicken and eggs. That along with wild caught salmon make up almost all my protein sources daily. Occasionally I ingest the eggs raw and I've been eating 2 oz of grass fed liver raw four times weekly for the past month much to the disgust and horror of family and friends. (I do not do this while they are present). Virtually all my vegetables are organic and most are eaten uncooked. I also discovered I can eat grains again provided they are soaked/fermented overnight. (Many thanks to Sally Fallon's book Nourishing Traditions). I'm almost free from commercially prepared food at this point and I feel remarkably good. I do spend more time in the kitchen - kind of scary since I don't know how to cook. I admit I am learning!

My IBS pain is as good as gone provided I don't stray from my kitchen. I enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner with the family yesterday. Everything tasted wonderful but I was feeling the effects within 20 minutes - bloating, gas and nonstop gut pain throughout the entire night and into this morning. Not good. Here at work there are mountains of Christmas goodies covering the card table set up in dispatch..... I knew better, but one of those little peanut butter brownies things kept calling my name. I enjoyed it for a few minutes. Now, several hours later, I'm still regretting those couple minutes. I'm bloated up enough that I wish I had bigger uniform pants as these pants do NOT stretch.

It's amazing that I lived at least the past 15 years of my life in varying levels of gut pain. Since I've been living closer to pain free lately, I can't believe I lived like that. Nothing the doctors did or the drugs they gave me worked; I am glad I finally got tired of same old stuff and started taking charge of my health.

[Scott Sonnon]

Kelly, wonderful first-hand account of the impact of nutrition! We have similar experiences and dietary approaches.

[rawmark]

Hey Foo,

I totally hear ya and understand. However, if you are truly seeking a diet that benefits you and the planet then I would encourage you to check out http://www.ravediet.com. Not only is this close to the best dietary choice on earth but it's healthier for the body and kinder for the earth. Anyway, regardless of your choices just remember that we are what we eat. If we eat that being that has been killed for food then we are consuming that fear that that animal endured during death, any chemicals that were pumped into him, or her, during it's life, and setting ourselves up for other health problems as well. Living a life on a vegetable-based diet is not only a satisfying one but also kinder to the earth and all beings. Also, I apologize if my reply comes off as preachey. That is not my intent. I just have a strong appreciation for leaving a small footprint and know that one can live a healthy life as a vegan, vegetarian, raw foodist or whatever choice you make so long as it's kind, and beneficial to your digestive system and creates exceptional life force.

Peace,

Mark

[Coach Tran]

Hey Foo,

I totally hear ya and understand. However, if you are truly seeking a diet that benefits you and the planet then I would encourage you to check out http://www.ravediet.com. Not only is this close to the best dietary choice on earth but it's healthier for the body and kinder for the earth. Anyway, regardless of your choices just remember that we are what we eat. If we eat that being that has been killed for food then we are consuming that fear that that animal endured during death, any chemicals that were pumped into him, or her, during it's life, and setting ourselves up for other health problems as well. Living a life on a vegetable-based diet is not only a satisfying one but also kinder to the earth and all beings. Also, I apologize if my reply comes off as preachey. That is not my intent. I just have a strong appreciation for leaving a small footprint and know that one can live a healthy life as a vegan, vegetarian, raw foodist or whatever choice you make so long as it's kind, and beneficial to your digestive system and creates exceptional life force.

Peace,

Mark

Hey RAW,

I see your point and thanks for sharing.

Yours in CST,
Foo

[Jake Shannon]

I am a huge proponent of Raw and Paleo diets. I find that they are very congruent

[lunatic]

If your looking for a good diet to follow( it has helped me) then read the book "fit for life" by harvey diamond. This book shows you how to combine cooked and raw foods.

[english_knight]

"Now, as a twenty year vegan and two year raw foodist I can say you are on an awesome journey. I disagree with the warrior diet because I see no need to include animal products of any kind in our diets. If you go to the bible you will see that a raw, vegan diet was the original prescription. It was only after mankind disobeyed the Creator that our days were "numbered" to 120. Now, how many folks do you know that live to be 120? Very Few. Normal Walker, who was a pioneer for raw foods, lived well into his nineties."

I'm a bit new to this list and I hope I am not overstepping my bounds by commenting on this particular comment.

I can see why you wouldn't want to include meat into *your* diet, but I don't see why you would want to speak for the world and say *our* diet. Your religious veiws are interesting but not everyone subscribes to them (I know I don't).
I eat animal products. Not alot of them, in fact my "stable" is basically raw (apples, bannannas, pears, suger snaps, carrots, spinich, onions, nuts, seeds, ect.),
and I sometimes mix some yogurt into my fruit and nuts, or put some chicken breast into my salads, as well as treat myself to a nice slab of salmon or shrimp for dinner. I have my "energy foods" in the morning, my "cleansing foods" in the middle of the day, and my "building foods" at night. Sometimes I'll have a small handful of nuts, seeds, and some dried fruit (my "brain food") as snacks between meals. I think it makes sense to "charge up" before you start your day and to eat your "building foods" (protein) before you retire because your body will use the protein while it is regenerating itself. The "brain food" is important during the day because they help you stay at your mental edge (your brain is made up of fatty tissues and requires a flow of glycogen to function, low carb/low fat pundents are F.O.S. ). The "cleansing food" (green leafy veggies and "roughage") gives you a steady flow of antioxidants and keeps your poop shoot nice and clean. Keep in mind that I developed this diet plan intuitively and through trial and error. It might resemble other diet plans, I don't know. I like to experiment with different ideas and see how my body responds to them.

[Coach Flanagan]

Warning: If this can of worms is opened again, I will NOT be accountable for my actions. Just kidding, but I will get a bit heated.

Michael, I hear what you're saying and you raise interesting and valid points - but I think its best to let this thread die. Its far too likely to get ugly fast.

Also, you have an interesting way with words, I think I may have to add "F.O.S" to my repetoire. LOL :D

[Coach Tran]

Jeez, please let this thread discontinue. I am the author of this thread and I sometimes wished I never started it. BUT it is part of my growth. Thank you for reading this thread, but let us leave this one alone.

[Coach Flanagan]

I am the author of this thread and I sometimes wished I never started it

Bao,

Its a shame that certain inquiries regarding nutrition have been forced to become discussions of religion and politics, thus makin the discussions completely untouchable. This could have happened with any thread that someone wanted to ruin, it was just your turn;) I'm glad you started it because you exercised your right to search for your nutritional truth, amigo.

[Coach Tran]

Sean,

I feel ya and thanks for encouragement. I have learned a lot about raw foods and the importance of live, organic, and fresh veggies and fruits in my own diet. I am no longer for a RAW foodist for various reasons. However I do honor the right of any individuals who eat from a specific doctrine, but I do not think it is morally right to force any specific doctrine on anyone. A person's relationship to food is a private matter and a personal lifestyle choice. In my experience with the theory and application of the dietary sciences, fundamentalism has no historical roots. I will not attack the dogmatist, but as Herr Nietzsche once wrote and I am paraphrasing now, "what does burning in your own fire prove for your doctrine?"

Yours in CST,