Raw Vegan

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DustyKat

DustyKat

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Maybe I should have one thread entitled Sarah's diet! :lol:

Righteo, she has just been speaking with me and she is now trialling raw vegan. First day today and she seems pretty darned excited about it and thinks it will be just the ticket for her. I should mention that she is already vegan.

She has gone into this with her eyes wide open and has researched it before starting. She has also acknowledged that she can she be hardcore and harsh with her diet but has reassured me, :wink:, that although the changes can be difficult, maybe she means for me! :lol:, they are the absolute best thing for her health. She has made the change because of her Crohn's and for that reason alone. Although she enjoys brown rice and oats and doesn't feel they are bad for her she says she functions better completely off them.

There was loads more but I won't bore you with that. She makes such valid, sensible and strong points that you sort just sit there and go...oh, okay. :cool:

Soooo, I know I have read in the past of others that have gone down this path, at least I think I have. Is there anyone around here now doing the raw vegan thing or has done it in the past?

Dusty. :hippy:
 
I haven't done the raw vegan thing but I've done the vegan thing. I'm personally not a fan of all raw as cooking can be beneficial in a myriad of ways such as increasing the health benefits of some veggies. For example, around four per cent of the carotenoids (cancer fighting deliciousness) is absorbed when you when you eat raw carrots or you could absorb up to five times as much if they were cooked. But if raw vegan is what works for her, then more power to her I say! :)
 
The closest I came to eating vegan came out of desperation. I had begun having stomach attacks where I would need to go 50 plus times in a day. Realizing I couldn't last long like that I decided to go extreme with my diet. All I would eat is a brown rice cereal, with rice milk, sugar, and I believe raisons. Hard to believe but I stuck with the cereal diet and after around 6 weeks my stomach problem went completely away. I was shocked! I didn't have any energy, was pretty lethargic, but for the first time had shown to myself that diet manipulation would work with me.

Over time I slowly began adding foods to the cereal diet and learned I was able to handle some animal proteins, not be ill, and gain some energy. But eventually became lazy, added to many foods at once, became ill again. I have never have been able to figure out what food(s) are problematic for me.

Other times I've done similar with the diet, making myself well for months at a time, but the tricky part still remains with trying to pin down the troubling food.

Anyhow, going raw vegan seems extreme, much as I needed to do in the past. Has your daughters stomach troubles became that much worse that a regular vegan diet is no longer helping the gut?

Hopfully the diet experimenting will workout! All the best to your daughter. Thought to share this book review. It's a cautionary tale of a former vegan that found long term the diet caused her some health problems.

"The Vegetarian Myth"

http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2010/01/08/the-vegetarian-myth/
 
Ive never done it, but did watch a program on tv about it once. A woman in her 30s did it and nearly died due to not getting the correct nutrients.

She felt tired all the time and was looking worse so she started cutting out fruit high in sugars etc which didnt help, then her hair started falling out then started having blackouts.

I'd be very wary about this and make sure she does get tested for nutrient deficiencies etc and not to rely on vitamin pills to replace her diet
 
Anyhow, going raw vegan seems extreme, much as I needed to do in the past. Has your daughters stomach troubles became that much worse that a regular vegan diet is no longer helping the gut?
Click to expand...

Sarah had an emergency resection nearly 6 years ago and has been in remission since that time. She was left with deficits as a result of that operation and over time has been slowly working out what works for her and what doesn't. I think most of the decisions she has made are done after researching and then contemplating how that may benefit her own health. I do believe that these decisions are made based on her having Crohn's rather than other reasons. So yeah, doing what she can to optimise her own sense of well being.

She is only at the end of day 1 today but she seems really upbeat about it and feels it is going to be the way forward for her. She is going to give it two weeks and then reassess.

Dusty. xxx
 
Hi Dusty, best of luck to her. Your a great mum always supporting all of these things that she tries for her ibd. Tell us how she goes. It sounds difficult!!! Besides raw fruit and veg, what else can she have?
 
I will update Irene. :) As to what else she can have I have no idea, :lol:, but no doubt I will find out more about it over the next few days.

Dusty. xxx
 
Good lord!!!!!! :eek2:

Well Sarah has only been doing raw vegan for a few days and says she is feeling fabulous BUT her boyfriend commented that she looked thinner and sure enough she has already lost 2kgs!

She acknowledges that she already has difficulty gaining and maintaining weight so says she will have to suck it up and go back onto grains. I am so disappointed for her, :(, but I can't deny that in some ways I am pleased as I felt it was probably too extreme for her given the life long issues she has to deal with. (((sigh)))

Dusty. xxx
 
Awww, so what else could she have while she was on the diet? Has she tried scd, Palio. If grains are no good then they may be better for her. Even if she dosnt want to have red meat, but maybe fish? And eggs are fantastacic protein, if she has trouble gaining weight. Or even if just gluten free, grain free, but she still has things like chickpeas and legumes, and proteins she can tolerate??? Just suggestions. I want to do full scd, but chickpeas and legumes, instead of mash potatoe etc. Xoxo
 
She can actually tolerate many foods that a lot of Crohnies would find torture. The things she can't do since her resection is red meat, nuts and oils.

She was vegetarian for quite a while so was eating a lot of fish but she made the change to vegan as she felt it was a change that was suited to her body so I imagine at this point in time she will revert back from raw vegan to vegan. I think much of the philosophy of what she is doing with vegan/raw vegan is based on the Paleo diet, without the hunter part! :lol: She hasn't had problems maintaining her weight on vegan although any stress does strip the kilos off pretty quickly.

She's off to buy some quinoa now and experiment with that a little.

Dusty. xxx
 
Maybe have her try 80/10/10? It's supposed to be the healthiest, safest raw vegan diet. My sister is actually on this and her health has improved dramatically! She used to have IBS, depression, acne, yeast infections, and tons of UTI's and now doesn't! This is her website - http://therawbuzz.com/ :) You have to make sure you get enough calories on this diet, and to do that you need to eat a lot.
 
It would seem she didn't stop at quinoa! She must have been like a child in a lolly shop, :lol:, cause she also came away with almond milk, cous cous, a different type of organic soy milk and aloe vera juice/extract.

I guess we will see how it all goes with this added!

Dusty. :)
 
Just have her wash the quinoa before cooking it. It has an irritating chemical (saponin) on the outer shell that is a problem for people. Sometime it is pre-washed when you buy it but I think it is good to wash it yourself also. Just in case.
 
Raw veganism during a flare sounds downright dangerous. I did read two books from raw vegans about crohns and UC I'll get the names for you.

Is she eating mostly puréed foods?
 
Thanks mate. :)

Sarah has been in remission for close to 6 years now. The foods are not pureed, although she juices every day and does eat soups.

Dusty. xxx
 
Juicing gives me a lot of energy but I'm not sure if it irritates my gut. With so many factors it's hard to know what's what. On my way home and will find those book names.
 
DustyKat said:
Is there anyone around here now doing the raw vegan thing or has done it in the past?
Click to expand...

It is extremely hard to do for most people in the beginning. BUT it gets easier as time goes on. It has changed my life for the better. It has improved my disease and life for the better.

Here are some helpful links for you; some more raw than others:

http://www.colitis-crohns.com
http://goneraw.com
http://www.living-foods.com
http://www.rawfamily.com
http://www.lesliekenton.com
http://therawfoodcoach.com
http://www.detoxtheworld.com
http://www.oneluckyduck.com
http://thegardendiet.com

Without it I would probably be dead by now. And NO, that is not an exaggeration.
 
nogutsnoglory said:
Raw veganism during a flare sounds downright dangerous.
Click to expand...

Eating loads of raw fibre during a flare is certainly not a good idea. Try steamed veggies or juicing veggies instead. Both work wonders. You should only introduce totally raw once you have 99.99 % improved. Then it is all systems GO to massive long term improvement, combined with supplements like Vitamin D3 and so on.
 
The two books are Self healing crohns and colitis by David Klein the other is Healing Inflammatory Bowel Disease by Paul Nison.
 
Yep, problem with that is that each powder is a different texture if you know what I mean, one is fluffy and the others are heavier granules, so I don't think there would be even distribution...
 
Miss Spencer said:
Eating loads of raw fibre during a flare is certainly not a good idea. Try steamed veggies or juicing veggies instead. Both work wonders. You should only introduce totally raw once you have 99.99 % improved. Then it is all systems GO to massive long term improvement, combined with supplements like Vitamin D3 and so on.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

Nice to see others go the more raw route!
 
Sarah is home for a flying visit and it turns out she can't maintain her weight on raw vegan alone. Naturally the big issue is calories and what adds to the burden in her case is she can't tolerate nuts. So she has had to go back to her previous sources of calorie dense foods but still follows the raw vegan outside of this.

Dusty. xxx
 
I think it's awesome that she's giving this a shot. It seems like we all have such different symptoms and manifestations of our diseases, and more power to her if she can find a way to feel good and eat how she wants - I was a vegan for some time in college and I absolutely respect the dedication that goes into it. Out of curiosity, can she do coconut products - and does she like coconut? I have a cousin-in-law who is a vegan with soy allergies, she takes in a lot of her calories this way - coconut milk instead of soy, adding fresh coconut meat or dried coconut shavings to quinoa, rice, cereal, etc. High calorie stuff. And if you like it, yay! Lots of calories and a tropical vacation in your mouth.
 
I don't know if she does coconut. I must ask her, thanks for the suggestion.

Dusty. xxx
 
Hi!

I`m currently on this diet, and have been for about five weeks now. But, I can`t say for sure if it`s working yet, `cause I`ve haven`t been able to follow it a 100% everday. I have days where I defininately feel great(or at least part of the day..), and days where I feel terrible with pain and nausea. :stinks:

It`s really hard to stay motivated sometimes, and I crave potatochips, meat and heavy dinners! So I`ve eaten potatochips and had some whine, which I don`t tolerate at all. But all in all this diet feels so right, so I`m going to stick with it a while longer to see if it helps.

By the way; does anyone know how long it should take before one could say if it`s working or not?
 
I did it for 6 weeks about 10 years ago. I wasn't flaring at the time and had been in remission for several years. Well I started out with diarrhea within two days and by the end of six weeks I was out of remission in full flare, took IV of Prednisone and 3 months to get under control.

Sorry not a good experience but just my 2 cents :)
 
I tried raw vegan for about three months last year. I first noticed severe weight loss, and then started to feel a huge loss of energy/was constantly tired. I found that it made my Crohns even worse, for I found that with my case, ANY kind of fiber sets off my d...just my body though. I did paleo for about five years before crohns and absolutely loved it! I think one of the hardest things with raw vegan is protein. Though you can get protein through some veggies/ supplements, it just doesn't seem to do the job as well. That's just my opinion though. I have turned into the exact opposite (mostly all protein..low residue) diet and feel better well at least for now.


It's all just about listening to YOUR body, and what works/ doesn't work for you :biggrin:
 
Raw vegetables are mostly dangerous if flaring. Raw juices are probably ok. I would not advise someone with crohns to adopt a fully raw diet.
 
I must admit I do have my doubts if this diet is good for me; I`m tired all the time and feel just weird,kind of "spaced out" and nervous...

nikimazur; Did you quit the Paleo diet because you got Crohns and did it tolerate it any longer?
 
There is a company here in Honolulu that makes absolutely delicious raw vegan food. They sell it at farmers markets and health foods stores.

Their "living lasagna" has thinly sliced zucchini ribbons, pesto, something that tastes like cheese and more. I ate this one night and was rushed to the hospital via ambulance with a blockage. I have them to thank for finally getting a diagnosis.

Now the food did not cause my blockage, but it was a high fiber, difficult to digest meal for someone with my condition. Since my resection and remission, I have eaten other items from them, but can't quite eat the lasagna. Everything they make tastes so healthy and fresh.

I'm surprised Sarah lost weight unless she was a avoiding dishes made with oils and nuts. I think that's where most of their calories come from.
 
I'm surprised Sarah lost weight unless she was a avoiding dishes made with oils and nuts. I think that's where most of their calories come from.
Click to expand...

Bingo! Unfortunately they are the two things she hasn't been able to tolerate since her resection. :(

Dusty. xxx
 
Oh sure! Bump for lelu but CIC can suck an egg...I know where your loyalties lie...btw...vegan day 13 and we are all doing well. O had her blood tests Tuesday and no call so assuming all is well with her counts.
 
Any update on this?

Im new here but have read the boards PLENTY of times.

I just have to throw this mention in from my personal experience.

I gave raw vegan a try for a week and felt the best I ever felt since my dx over 6 months ago. I felt "cured." I stuck to things people would say make our condition worse. I would eat all raw salads and veggies and eat plenty of raw fruit and berries daily including a protein smoothie every morning. I did this for over a week until I ran out of groceries and had to go back to some of my non raw meals. This is where I slowly declined back to my old lethargic state. Just last night I made the mistake of eating kimchi which seems to just kill me and fill me up like a balloon. My plan now is to return to raw vegan by 100% juicing for a week, and then go back to raw meals.

currently on humira which keeps the pain away just enough to keep me out of the hospital. With out it, I would not be able to stay away.

My diet before my raw stint was pretty much what all forums, drs, and dietitians said: no raw anything. no seeds. no veggies. no fruit. no spicy. stick with simple meals that are easy to digest. I did this and lost weight and was lethargic. On the raw diet, I was still low in weight but had some of the best energy Ive had in a while.

I will let you know I am a vegan of 3 years and was dumbfounded when I was dx'd. I felt great, exercised daily, and ate clean. It wasnt until a night of either too much drinking or food poisoning triggered my downward spiral. Since then, nothing worked and most of my symptoms barely translate to the average crohnie. no blood in stool or anything like that. Just bad cramps, bloating, and a sensitive gut to motion.

Anyways, good to join this site. I will update my results when I go to the grocery store and stock up on clean food again.
 
Hey MrMattWebb and :welcome:

My daughter is still doing some raw but has mainly pulled back to vegan. She will however have some fish occasionally. She juices daily but except for half a lemon does not juice fruits.

Diet is so individual like everything with this disease. *sigh*

I know most of the stuff Sarah eats would rip the insides of others to shreds. :(

Dusty. xxx
 

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