Monday, March 31, 2014

The Raw Deal


A few weeks ago I went for lunch with a friend to a raw vegan restaurant in Santa Monica called Euphoria Loves Rawvolution. The Rawvolution logo is a drawing of a naked hippy couple kissing. They offer hemp seed tabouli and there is a kelp noodle section on the menu. This would usually be more than enough to have me run screaming to the nearest In N Out, but instead I paused and noticed something about the folks in this place. They all looked amazing. They were healthy with great skin and clear eyes. I don't think it was just because I was on the west side. I wanted what they had.

Digestive problems have been my normal for many years. I have tried cutting out gluten, limiting lactose, eliminating food coloring and additives. I have juice cleansed and Master Cleansed, all in search of a day free of stomachaches and other “issues.” Ahem. I just wanted to feel better. 

The next day I committed to one week of raw vegan eating, but first I had to figure out what that meant. 

According to Wikipedia, Raw Veganism excludes all food and products of animal origin, as well as food cooked at a temperature above 118 °F). A raw vegan diet includes raw vegetables and fruits, nuts and nut pastes, grain and legume sprouts, seeds, plant oils, sea vegetables, herbs, and fresh juices. There are many different versions of the diet, including fruitarianism, juicearianism, and sproutarianism. The definition of a raw vegan diet can be loosened to include vegan diets with at least 75–80% raw foods. I went to the nearest Whole Foods and wandered around. 

When Eleanor Roosevelt said,” You must do the thing you think you cannot do,” I believe she was referring to eating “cashew cheese.” There are a lot of raw vegan recipes on the internet that are quite involved and sound sort of terrible. I decided to go slow. The first few days I was eating a lot of raw fruits and vegetables and throwing in some kimchee and gallons of guacamole. I was trying to find my way. I was feeling pretty good, never hungry, and drinking less coffee. (Oh yeah, I decided to keep my non-raw coffee habit because coffee is my co-pilot.) I had shed a few pounds and even when eating in a restaurant I was able to find something that wasn’t off limits. 

I committed to another week. 

The first few days of  week two, I got the stomach flu. At first I thought it might be a reaction to my new “lifestyle,” but poor Bob had it too and he was eating his usual fare. I ate a lot of bananas. I ate coconut oil. I made it through. 

At an LA vegan place, CafĂ© Gratitude, I ordered a raw wrap called, “I Am Happy.” I was self-conscious when I ordered so I just asked for “The Happy,” like that somehow made it okay.  When my to-go order was ready I was asked the question of the day, “What are you exploring?” I was exploring why I couldn’t order food at this place that didn’t sound like a bumper sticker on the back of a VW van.  The wrap was good though, probably because I hadn’t eaten anything that resembled a real sandwich in a few weeks. 

I am now in my third week of raw. My digestive issues are gone. I feel pretty good.  I am learning how to do this without handing over my wallet at Whole Foods. I do think this way of eating would be more palatable to the masses without the 1969 zen-style theme running through everything. But what do I know? It’s working for me. So far. 

Namaste. (Just kidding. Sort of.)




22 comments:

  1. As someone with lots of food allergies, I encourage you to continue to seek answers. No one else will be an expert. But maybe, you will be able to learn enough about your body's needs to be that expert. Best wishes!

    not hip, young, just trying to be healthy-
    B.

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  2. You are a brave soul. I think I might starve to death without at least a few servings a day from the Frito-Lay food group...but I'm so glad it's agreeing with you and that you are feeling better. (And any diet that encourages guacamole can't be all bad...right?)

    XO
    A.

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    1. I currently live on a planet made of guacamole, so yeah. I mean, "Si." xoxo

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  3. Good for you if you've found something that makes you feel better, but I'm guessing the coffee is not helping any digestive issues, my dear. :)

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    1. I know you're right! I'm tapering a bit so I wont get the migraine... xo

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    2. Ah, yes. The migraine. Well, better to have an upset stomach than a splitting headache. (My own migraine cocktail involves Coke, Naproxin, and Tylenol.)

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  4. I know this is the answer. I love that saying, "Everything you eat, either feeds your body or hurts your body." Working toward that, though less dramatic, you know?

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  5. Lisa--

    Stacey and I have been "mostly" paleo since September. Steady stomach gurgling is gone, sleep is deeper, energy is up, hunger is down, 15-20 lbs are missing, so yeah, I agree, there's a lot ot say for the whole foods (lower case) thing. Whether cooked or uncooked, I say. The more I read and the more think on this stuff, the more I am confident that we are not made to eat the industrially engineered, chemically controlled, hormonally attuned "food" to which our society directs us. Like Michael Pollan said (in "Food Rules"): "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Keep going, be well, and good luck with bringing Bob along for the ride. He'll establish his eating habits now. As we all did.

    Gm.

    P.S. I don't mean for this to be preachy. I just got the Gospel of Good Food and am trying to live the religion.

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    1. That's great Greg! I love to hear this. High five! xo

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  6. I really do feel your pain. Could nod in agreement to all your words. As I type I am sipping on a big glass of green juice that I just made. It's been a long 15 years of figuring out why I felt "off". For me, I have found a lot of answers in the Weston Price philosophy and the Maker's Diet. It's amazing to feel good and look back and realize just how crappy I felt for most of my life, thinking it was just normal. Here's to healthier days!!!

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    1. That's fantastic. I love that you found something that works for you! Isn't it a relief? xo

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  7. Wow. I've been vegan for a long time, but raw scares me, probably because I can still eat in most restaurants. Plus, pasta. But whatever works is whatever works and that's what you gotta do.

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    1. I feel lucky living in LA, I can generally find something on most restaurant menus that will work. I'll have to see how it goes when I travel! xo

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  8. It sounds like an exciting new adventure; go, go, go!

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  9. You gotta find what works for you.

    Namaste ;)

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  10. I wonder if you've stumbled across my raw vegan cooking show, Uncooking 101, on YouTube. My family and I spent a good two+ years doing the raw thing with great results. If only it wasn't so hard to stick with, we'd totally still be on that bandwagon. We do what we can, right? Best of luck to you!

    -Brittany

    Check out our adventures at
    www.brittanybullen.com

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  11. Oh lawd, last time I was at Cafe Gratitude, I gave the waiter a look. He didn't ask me the dumbass questions or pull any of the usual hippie shit. The meal was delicious. There's another raw vegan joint near Hollywood I had a great meal at, including "ice cream" (some cashew thing. It was so. effing. good.). Normally I balk at all things raw/vegan, but if it tastes good, it tastes good. Good luck sistah! (As usual, I am commenting on an old post, because I'm perpetually behind.)

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